How many years have you worked at Oak Grove?

2020 was my first year teaching at Oak Grove.

Why do you work at Oak Grove?

I am a former student of Oak Grove. My experience of moving and growing within the confines of the school is still one of the most positive experiences of my life. I am privileged to feel that way. Now as a parent and a teacher, I feel even more privileged to soon watch my own children have their own experience at the school and to play a part in all our other students’ lives who are now walking their own path. Finally, the staff is wonderful, the campus is beautiful and calming. There are many reasons to work at Oak Grove.

A quote that inspires your approach to your job.

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor E. Frankl

Where is your special spot on campus?

Sitting on the elementary sports field and looking out at Chief Peak and the Topa Topas. A fresh snow and a lingering moon adds a nice touch.

Coffee or Tea?

Usually tea.

How do we prepare students for their life ahead?

Living with uncertainty is not always pleasant. At Oak Grove, we can begin to explore what that means and how it affects our actions. We can learn how to ask meaningful questions and come to know ourselves more accurately. This is an important skill to always be honing. This is important for navigating the many joys and sorrows that one moves through in life.

What outdoor experience has been most impactful for you?

Hearing the wind in the trees and nothing else.

Which teacher in your life affected you greatly? How?

My third and fourth grade teacher, Alice Borgeson. There are many reasons why I loved Alice’s class. One memory that sticks out is her reading to us Where the Red Fern Grows. I had been harping on my mom to get a dog for some time. After Alice finished the book, I took it home and read it out loud to my mom. A few weeks later a dog named Ralph showed up.

Name something that nobody knows about you.

I really like US history.

Person (dead or alive, famous or not) that you’d most like to share a meal with.

My brother and sister.

Name a place you’ve always wanted to visit, but haven’t yet.

Europe. All of it.

Share a hilarious OGS experience.

Helping Meredy cross a particularly sketchy and dangerous section of trail on a back-packing trip. Judging by the pitch of her screams, she may have been thinking that those moments were her last. I had never heard a teacher, or anyone for that matter, scream quite like that. Bless her heart.

Favorite Oak Grove expression?

Read my shoes.