Favorite Bible Verse: 

Ephesians 2:8-10: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

I am originally from a small rural town in East Central, Minnesota. I graduated from Concordia University St. Paul in 2016 with my Bachelor's degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education to be a Lutheran school teacher. My first call was to teach in Dubuque, Iowa, where I taught Kindergarten for three years. My second call was to Immanuel, where I have continued teaching Kindergarten since. 

When teaching, I keep Proverbs 22:6 close to my heart. "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it." This verse embodies my purpose as a Lutheran educator and serves as a reminder to me. Kindergarten is that magical time when students get that first real school experience. My job is to help start students off on the right path by instilling a love for school. Not only that, I get to do it with Christ at the center of it all, which is pretty amazing!

A little bit about myself: I enjoy being artistic and crafty, as well as taking care of my large collection of house plants. I am a huge Disney fan: any of the movies, music, and TV shows! I love getting the chance to spend time with my family back in MN. 

The school's theme this year is "Connected" (John 15:5). Share a time in your life when you saw the importance of being connected to Jesus.

I see the importance of staying connected to God every time I go through a life transition. For example, going to college in a big city, getting my first call to Iowa and leaving Minnesota, leaving Iowa, and moving to Wisconsin. When life felt different and there were many unknowns, the one thing that always stayed consistent was God. His connection never changed. In these transitional moments, my faith provided me comfort and stability.

What's your favorite childhood memory?

Spending time with my cousins at their grandparent's cabin called the Hideaway, which was next-door neighbors to where I grew up out in the country. We would have sleepovers, play pretend, ride four-wheelers, go swimming in the lake, and play with the cats, just to name a few things. But the two most fun things were acorn fights and hay bale jumping!

Hometown: Sandstone, MN

Bachelor's Degree:  Elementary and Early Childhood Education, Concordia St. Paul, MN

Minors: Lutheran Theology