I was born and raised in St. Charles, Illinois. I went off to college with my high school sweetheart, Rick, and we came “home” to get married and be near family. We have lived in Elburn for the past 31 years- where we raised our 5 Montessori-educated daughters- the oldest two being Mansio alumni. Mansio gave me my first exposure to the Montessori world and inspired me to obtain my AMS certification for teaching 3–6-year-olds, from the Seton Montessori Institute. I have my BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Children’s Learning and Development from the University of Massachusetts. I have over 27 years of experience in Montessori classrooms, first as an assistant and then as a directress. After teaching at a Montessori school in St. Charles for 24 years, this is my fourth year of teaching at Mansio, and I am thrilled to be back where my Montessori journey began. I am so grateful to be a part of the Mansio family!