I love learning and helping others learn! Read on to learn about my experience and credentials.

Education: bachelor's degrees in biology and journalism with a minor in French from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Because I scored a 5 on the AP French exam and placed out of introductory French classes through the university's placement exam, I took advanced French literature classes and a capstone course to complete the required French credits for my minor.

I worked as a receptionist at a hotel in Nice, France for the summer of 1999. Since then, I have kept up with my French by reading, watching films, and teaching children, including my own five, the language. 

Although French has always been a passionate side interest, I originally intended to make my career in science journalism because I loved making complex information accessible to a lay audience. I have written for newspapers and magazines on a wide variety of topics in addition to science.

I discovered an equal love of editing and ended up working as a scientific copyeditor, managing editor, and eventually senior production editor at a leading scientific publishing company for 25 years. I trained others (who usually did not have a science background) in how to edit complex scientific research for clarity and grammar. I also managed and mentored a team of copyeditors for approximately 24 of those years.

From the time my children were young, I have shared my love of science with kids through science lessons and projects both in and out of the classroom. You can still read about some of these on my former company's blog. 

I have homeschooled all five of my children. I get excited about combining subjects, for example by building  a math lesson around a picture book or exploring economics through a historical period. Of my two high-school graduates so far, one is building his own business, and the other is attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Two of my students have taken numerous AP exams, including calculus BC, calculus-based physics, chemistry, biology, English language & composition, world history, and statistics. I am skilled at finding quality resources and helping students to use them well and efficiently, as well as crafting education plans.

I have coached a Destination Imagination team for the past 11 years. Destination Imagination is a STEAM program that teaches creative problem solving and teamwork alongside science, technology, and the arts. My team has qualified for Global Finals three of those years.

I also coached a Future City team for two years, and my team won first place in the New England competition and qualified for nationals both years. Future City is a team-based engineering competition where kids build a model city that addresses specific societal engineering challenges.

I have been involved in various leadership capacities with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (now Scouting America) and am currently the scoutmaster for a girls' troop. I have mentored numerous scouts in merit badges and rank advancement.

I got my first introduction to 1:1 tutoring during college, when I was employed to tutor other students in biology. I returned to private tutoring in the spring of 2026, when I coached two AP biology students.

I teach regular classes on homesteading skills such as sourdough bread baking and poultry processing through my family's farm.