bio
Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, I’ve had the good fortune to see the changing of the seasons each year. The seasons of my life have recently transformed as well. After several years of ignoring the universe screaming in my ear, I finally listened and made some major adjustments. I’ve spent nearly the last twenty-two years working in education, nineteen of which were as a high school English teacher, and now I have begun anew. When the pandemic struck, along with every other aspect of life, the career of teaching completely altered, and I knew it was time for a switch. I followed my heart and longtime aspirations and became a freelance writer and narrator.
I’ve always loved language and the power it holds, so it’s no surprise that I became an English teacher and then a writer and audio book narrator. After transferring from Fairfield University to Bay Path University, I was asked by one of my professors to become a writing and academic tutor for my peers. I enjoyed the work so much that after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree, I pursued my Master of Arts in Teaching at Elms College.
I received my initial teaching position at Enrico Fermi High School in Connecticut. The following year, I returned to the school at which I had completed my student teaching practicum, Agawam High School, where I was a member of the English Department for eighteen years. During my tenure there, I taught students of all ages and abilities in grades nine through twelve in a variety of core and elective courses. In addition, I established a Writing Center in 2019, similar to what one would find on a college campus.
Together with being a high school teacher, I’ve worked as an adjunct professor, a writing tutor, and a teacher consultant for the Western Mass Writing Project. I’ve conducted workshops for fellow educators about writing across the curriculum and sharing best practices.
Once I decided to begin this fresh stage of life as a freelance writer and narrator, several projects came to fruition. I’m a contributing writer for The Hark Journal - a free email subscription that provides daily inspirational messages for today’s world based on Shakespearean quotes. My first book, 50 Things to Know about Being a High School English Teacher, was published in January of 2021 by CZYK Publishing (available on Amazon). I completed the narration for the audio book as well (available on Audible). My second book, 50 Things to Know About Being Childfree by Choice - A Guide for Understanding and Acceptance, was published in May of 2021 by CZYK Publishing and is now available on Amazon. I will be narrating the audio book version and it will most likely be available by the end of this summer on Audible.