My earliest memories stem from Highland County, Virginia’s Switzerland.  It is no surprise to me that decades later I would live and teach in New Hampshire’s Belknap County, so similar are the mountains.  Virginia, though, grounded me.  I started attending public schools in Highland and then continued in Sussex and Campbell counties before heading off to Charlottesville.  There I earned both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia, and I began teaching north of the Fort Valley in Warren County.  I taught English classes and directed student theater productions: one-acts, mystery dinner theaters, and musicals.  With a few years of experience, I moved out west, teaching English both in public and private schools in Denver.  I continued directing theater productions and taught research classes for Speech and Debate.  Here, I decided that I would  like to become a school librarian even though it would take another decade and a new home.  Yes, I returned back east, venturing into my mother’s home state of NH where I bought my great-grandparents’ house.  Fortunately, I also began teaching in the lakes region, this time focusing on English classes while raising my sons, Sam and Miles.  I also completed a library certification program at Plymouth State University and eventually transitioned into the new role I had chosen years before. I always knew I would return to Virginia where my immediate family has always lived, and in 2019, I did. This is my third year working as one of Woodgrove’s library media specialists.  I also advise Woodgrove’s National Honor Society.  I have always loved reading and teaching.  Even as a child, I played being the teacher, and I have my younger siblings to thank for their patience. I am grateful that I can experience what I love every time I step through Woodgrove’s doors.