So you’re new here! That’s cool. Once upon a time I was new here too. It’s now my second year in the education department, so I guess you could call me an expert on the program. As the Graduate Student Ambassador for the Elementary Education MAT program and a blogger for Marginalia, I’m here to share my experiences as a graduate student, to answer any questions new and prospective students might have, and to link educators to resources that I’ve created or discovered while learning at Columbia. So now that you know what my intentions are, let me tell you a little bit about myself.

I am a Midwestern girl at heart. I was born and raised in a small town in Minnesota. I spent most of my youth fully immersed in theater. My parents are self-made and instilled a lot of old-timey values in me (respect for my elders, sharing my toys, investing my money in local, sustainable, and community endeavors). I remember that our first neighborhood was very rough and tumble, but it had an amazing sense of neighborly spirit that still influences me to this day.

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I moved to Ohio to attend college at Kent State University for theatre. My four years in undergrad were spent finding any way possible to create theatre with my peers. I received an award my junior year for a student directed piece that showcased many actors who were not utilized in main stage productions. I found myself very pulled to leadership positions, eventually acting as the President of the school’s theatre society and acting as the student representative on faculty boards.

When I graduated from college I immediately decided to move to Chicago. I spent my first five years here producing plays for Blackbird Theatre Company, working in theatre education administration at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and teaching puppetry in an after school program for Columbia College’s Center for Community Arts Partnership. Though my work was creative and fulfilling, I slowly found that I was my best self when I was in the classroom. Even more than that, I found myself wanting a career where I could focus on making a difference in a community that needed someone like me.

Me and my cohort of Elementary Education MAT students

When I graduate, I will be certified to teach K-8 Elementary Ed and will have endorsements in Theatre, Language Arts and Social Studies. I am interested in finding new ways integrate the arts into other content areas, teaching in urban environments, and learning more about inequalities in the education system. In my free time I am a voracious reader, cyclist, and dancer. Currently, I live in North Center with an introverted husband and two grumpy dogs.