getting to know me

  

The special place in my heart for individuals with Down syndrome began when I was in high school through an internship in my school’s Kindergarten classroom.  There was a young lady who stole my heart in the class the first year of my internship.  It was then that I began my journey towards becoming a teacher for young children with specialized needs.  While I was in college, I worked at as a waiver care provider working with children with special needs.  My favorite clients often had the common tie of having Ds and almost nine years later I still work with a girl who stole my heart and is yet to give it back!  

I have been teaching special education for the Sioux City Community School District for going on nine years; and I enjoy all my kiddos, especially those with Ds.  I currently teach students in grades 6th through 10th grade who have significant intellectual disabilities.  I have my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in education and special education through Morningside College and am currently working on my Educational Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction through University of South Dakota. 

GiGi’s Playhouse (Down syndrome Achievement Center) opened its doors in Sioux City, IA in 2009.  Over the past seven years I have watched the children and young adults grow and blossom, especially in the areas of reading and math through my role as their education coordinator and board member.  My love of reading drives my strong beliefs about the importance of literacy and play for children.  Adopting a child with Down syndrome has been on my heart for a while, and my desire to raise him or her in a loving environment where he or she is a person first, who just happens to have Down syndrome, continues to grow.

   In 2013, I welcomed my lil man into my home!  Together we have gained knowledge and worked through a variety of health concerns. 

   With CJ's loving big brother help, I have been blessed to be touched by the lives of 14 foster children in our home since late 2012.