In Gaelic we say that a profession is ‘in you’, it is not something you do, but something you intrinsically are. ‘S e tidsear a th’ annam, literally translated “it is a teacher that is in me”. I believe for those of us that become educators there is no truer statement. I am a teacher.

Every person in my mother’s family is or has been an educator. When I was a child I rebelled against it, I wanted to be different. However, as I grew, I knew that I would teach, without a doubt. Yet I also knew that I did not want to teach right away, I wanted to explore the world and gain as much life experience as I could, in order to be the best teacher I could be. As a student, I was always in awe of those teachers with exotic and amazing tales to tell, those with real-life experience outside of the classroom, those who had traveled far and accomplished much. I wanted to give that gift my own students. I was determined to have the life experience to solidify my classroom practices and content.

So- I traveled, I learned languages, and sought education wherever I went. I walked the Great Wall while teaching English in China, learned to be a cartographer while studying in Scotland, backpacked the PCT while learning to be a Wilderness First Responder, and explored the Great Barrier Reef while studying education in Australia. I have jumped at every opportunity to travel, learn new skills, take classes, teach, and explore.

After several years of teaching high school social studies in public schools and loving my students and my content- I made the decision to quit the industrial system in 2018. I believe education should seek to inspire students to find their own paths, to foster creative innovation, and to support optimistic future-oriented young people.

I founded the Lark Academy to redesign high school for the 21st Century and make something better.