Personal & Professional Biography

Summer Art Camps @ Grand Rapids Art Museum

Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I graduated from the Kelloggsville Public School district in 2004. As Valedictorian, I was passionately committed to academics, community, and becoming a team player in multiple sports, clubs, and activities. My involvement continued as I went on to pursue education and receive my art education training with an emphasis in ceramics at Grand Valley State University.

During my time at Grand Valley, I discovered my love for the ceramic arts. Sharing this as I began to teach was extremely important to me. I coordinated and developed an annual high school /college collaborative learning day. During this project, a local high school was selected to visit and tour the college/art center, participate in a lesson lead by art education majors, and have a better understanding of what opportunities art can give to students. We selected schools based upon need and what resources they normally had available to their art education. I wanted to make clay accessible to as many students as I could.

I also helped start GVSU's first Contemporary Ceramics Association and went on to become Vice President until 2008. I was an active member of the National Council on Education for Ceramic Arts. I am also an active member of the National and Michigan Art Education Association and have been a conference presenter in Grand Rapids for that last two years.

It's vital that I am a part of the education community here in Grand Rapids, MI so that I can be an active advocate for the arts. I've volunteered with the UICA Art Works programs, Frederick Meijer Gardens Art Education Department, as well as being currently employed with the Grand Rapids Children's Museum and Grand Rapids Art Museum in the art education department. I hope to remain an active art community contributor as I become an art teacher within the Grand Rapids/ Kent county area.