When I was in high school, I was inspired by one of my science teachers to study science in college after learning about environmental disasters and their impact on humans. I went on to get a Bachelor's and Master's degree in geology. I worked for 12 years with the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources on groundwater cleanups. After taking a break from geology to be at home with my kids, I entered the Graduate Teaching Certificate program at UNCC in special education. Prior to joining the Department of Natural Resources, I taught for 3 years in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences at UNCC.
Over the years my husband, Wolfgang, who teaches physics at Davidson College, and I have had nine foster children in our family. We adopted two of our first foster children. Our daughter, Beth, and our older son, Charlie, are grown. Beth is a medic in the army, and Charlie lives and works in Mooresville. As we thought we were ending our child rearing years, our 10th child, Konrad, was born. He is now a student at the Community School.
Seeing the struggles some of our kids had in school attracted me to special education with a particular interest in students at the middle school level. I love connecting with students through science especially by using hands-on activities. When I began my course work at UNCC, I volunteered at the Community School and at Springs Academy, an alternative school on the campus of Barium Springs Homes for Children. At Springs I developed weekly hands-on science lessons for middle and high school students. At the end of my student teaching, I was thrilled to be offered a middle school science position, and that delight continues every day at CSD—really!
The geology side of me still likes collecting rocks and minerals, which I enjoy even more with students now. I also like to travel, hike, camp, and ride rail-to-trails bike paths. I keep vegetable and flower gardens and a family orchard. When I can’t be outside I practice piano as an adult student, which reminds me daily how much work learning is.
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