I grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts and spent my summers boating in Buzzard's Bay and camping in New Hampshire's White Mountains. My family instilled in me a love of natural science and the outdoors. In high school and through college, I worked as a yard hand at a marina near my home.

After graduating from high school in 1986, I headed "West" to college at the University of Puget Sound (UPS) in Tacoma. 

My undergraduate degree is in English with a Creative Writing emphasis.
I returned to UPS for a Masters in Teaching in 1995.

Between those degrees, I gathered life experiences including, work as a river guide and naturalist around the Northwest, operating a one-hour photo lab at the Grand Canyon, and as an editorial assistant for the Washington State Historical Society.

My current extra-curricular activities include mountain biking, kayaking, sailing, fixing things that break, building things that won't, thinking deep thoughts about the human condition, and sometimes listening to music at inadvisably high volumes.

Curiosity, a sense of playfulness, high expectations, and a love of learning and thinking combine to make my classroom an engaging educational environment. My students look forward to coming to class and are excited to share what they've learned after they leave.