I have been teaching chemistry in the high school arena for 17 years. I am a lateral entry teacher who came from both industry and a college teaching environment. I grew up in the mountains of western North Carolina, where I attended Pisgah Senior High School. My high school chemistry teacher, Mike Jones, inspired me to take chemistry while attending UNCA. I graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from UNCA after conducting and presenting authentic undergraduate research involving Huckel calculations under Dr. Leo Bares. I left North Carolina and moved to Tennessee to work in the nuclear industry as an environmental radiochemist. I left Oak RIdge and moved to Blacksburg, SC to live with my husband and attend UNC-Charlotte to obtain my Masters degree in Organometallic Analytical Chemistry. While finishing my thesis, I taught chemistry classes at Gaston College. From here I started my family and made the decision to stay home with my two children until they started school. Best decision I have ever made, hands down. We moved to Polk County in 1999 and have made this farm our home. I caught the teaching bug in graduate school and my stint at Gaston College. I decided to teach high school chemistry and have not looked back. Chase High School was my first stop in high school chemistry and ten years brought many friendships, both with colleagues and long graduated students. Polk County High School is now my home. I love teaching and sharing my passion of chemistry and science.
