Favorite Bible Verse:

Philippians 4:13  I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Galatians 2:20   I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God. 

I grew up in a small suburb of Chicago. I have always had a love for children and animals. I originally attended college to be a biologist, with a life long dream of studying wolves in Yellowstone. However, God had other plans and I ended up graduating with a degree in Early Childhood Education. I taught in Illinois for several years and then at Immanuel for 1 year before staying home to have children. For the past 14 years I have been blessed to be serving as Admissions Counselor here at Immanuel. In 2016 I had the opportunity to step back into the classroom as well and I am enjoying my time teaching God's children. I love my career as I have the opportunity to meet new people, be around children, and still raise my family. God is amazing!

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.

The world can be a very heavy place and yet a very beautiful one as well.  I think I feel connected to Jesus in the "extremes" of both situations.  This year we have had loss in our family that was unexpected and carried with it some difficult circumstances.  During this time I was so grateful for my prayer partners at Immanuel and for those who continued to encourage me to talk to Jesus and stay connected to find peace and comfort and to continue to navigate it as a family.  I have also visited some amazingly, beautiful places in which I look at the creativity of God's hand and feel His presence.  I also see His connection in my life as I watch my children grow and continue to recognize that it is their connection to Him that will sustain them through the hills and valleys.

What's a movie you could watch every day?

I would say there are a couple of different movies I could watch every day, depending on the mood I am in at the time.  The Princess Bride has to be one of my all time favorites.  It is just a simple love story with action and humor and I could watch a million times and never get tired of it.  I would also add Aladdin (the original animated Disney version) if I wanted a childhood feeling, Dirty Dancing (if I'm looking for good music and dancing), Ferries Bueller's Day Off and Grease.  I love movies and could list many more but these are probably at the top of the list for ones I could watch all the time.

Hometown: Island Lake, IL

Bachelor's Degree: Early Childhood Education, Concordia University, River Forest, IL  Concentration: Psychology