Tell us about yourself:
I am an FHSU alumni and a proud FHSU Tiger. I have always wanted to be an educator, and the coursework and degrees I have earned from FHSU have allowed me to do what I love. I have been married to my high school sweetheart since 1987 and have 3 grown daughters and 4 fabulous grandchildren.
What do you now do for a living? How did you end up choosing this career path?
I am the Superintendent for USD 240, Twin Valley Schools. I have a Bachelors in Physical Education, Masters in Instructional Technology, Masters in Education Administration, and Education Specialist degree in Education Leadership. After earning a B.S. in Physical Education, I started my career in education as a Physical Education teacher in a small district in Northwest Kansas. In this position, I also coached several sports. I then moved to another district, where in addition to Physical Education, I worked as a computer teacher at the elementary level. I loved this work. I then began coursework to earn a Master’s in Instructional Technology. This degree opened my eyes to another field, serving as an instructional coach working with teachers and providing professional learning. This soon became my passion. I moved to a district level position in Professional Development, where I then earned a building level license through a Master’s in Education Administration. Moving to my next district level position, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, I had the opportunity to work with teachers through curriculum and instruction. My current position, Superintendent, has been the next step in my leadership journey, and one in which I hope to finish my career. Along the way I also began teaching for FHSU as an adjunct professor for the Education Administration program. This has been another avenue of leadership where I feel I can make an impact.
Why did you choose to attend FHSU?
FHSU has a reputation for being a quality “teacher” college. I knew this was my career path, so that coupled with affordability, made FHSU the logical choice.
What are your favorite memories from your time as a student?
My memories of FHSU are filled with fantastic instructors. My goal was to become a teacher and FHSU made it possible for me to do that while being a mother and a wife. I had great professors who understood the struggles of balancing those roles, but pushed me to do my best to become the best teacher I could.
What advice do you have for current or prospective FHSU students?
Take advantage of all of the opportunities to get involved in both the department you are part of, as well as activities which are part of the university. You can make great connections for networking when involved. These connections become your first contacts when you are ready to graduate and start your career.
Tell us about someone at FHSU who has left a lasting impression:
With four degrees from FHSU, I have many people who have made an impression on me and have stood out to me as part of the foundation for my career. In my undergraduate work, Dr. Ferguson, Department Chair for HPER, was instrumental in my staying in education. If he hadn’t taken the time to speak with me during my 2nd year of teaching, I would have left teaching and moved to a different career.
In what ways are you proud to be a Tiger?
There are many ways I’m proud to be a Tiger, but one of the main reasons is due to the faculty and staff at FHSU. As an Adjunct Professor for FHSU, I now get to work with the education staff as colleagues. I value their expertise and feel that we have one of the strongest education departments in the state.