I grew up on my family's dairy farm in Iredell County and attended Central Elementary, the school where I now teach.  After graduating from North Iredell High School, I continued my education as a North Carolina Teaching Fellow at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC where I received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education.  I received National Board Certification in 2008.