During my time away from work I enjoy chasing horizons—hiking rugged trails, paddling both quiet and rowdy rivers, and camping beneath our canopy of stars. Road trips have become moving meditations, opportunities to explore new landscapes and collect experiences. My curiosity extends beyond the great outdoors, diving deep into metaphysics, theology, and pondering the big questions that linger long after sunset.

My earlier chapters included leading my daughters' Girl Scout troops, coaching soccer and basketball, directing a cheer squad, running art workshops and outdoor classroom lessons, and teaching in the BSF school program. Those past mentorship roles continue to shape my view of community and connection.

For nearly two decades I co-owned and managed an IT business, with my main responsibility being project management—roles that allowed me to link subject-matter experts together and help create win/win/win situations. I enjoyed translating technical jargon into shared understanding, watching teams click, and celebrating the small victories that arise from seamless collaboration. That experience now informs how I organize curricula, coordinate staff, and foster a collaborative learning environment.

But the seed for Forest STEAM Academy was planted during a season of profound personal change. After experiencing significant loss, I spent time working at a campsite nestled in the woods by the river. The land did what no lecture or textbook could—it restored me. I also worked alongside people carrying heavy burdens of their own, struggling with addiction and hardship, and I couldn't help but wonder: what if they had been given this kind of grounding earlier in life? What if, during those formative teenage years, someone had offered them a place where nature, purpose, and community came together?

That question became a conviction, and that conviction became this school.

Outside the administrative sphere, Kundalini Yoga instruction channels the same sense of flow, guiding students toward physical vitality and inner clarity. It is my belief that technology, nature, and spirituality can intersect to create richer, more purposeful lives—a passion that fuels both my educational leadership and community-focused endeavors.