| In fall of 2002, at a college and careers fair, she fell in love with the idea of Cornell College. It was the only school she applied to, against strong advice. In 2005, she trekked across the Mississippi River to join the incoming freshman class.
She'd never lived in a place like Mount Vernon before, and she loved being able to walk the town at night with friends and classmates, talking through life and classes and the future. She led student organizations and taught in the Linn-Mar and Mount Vernon school districts. In 2009, she completed degrees in Secondary Education and English, and moved with her best friend down to Coralville, wanting to be a little closer to a bookstore, and then to Iowa City in 2010.
She volunteered at the hospital, got involved with Iowa City Community Theatre, and worked as a long-term substitute teacher until her spouse joined the US Navy as a Corpsman, and they moved to North Carolina, and then on to California, where she transitioned to private tutoring. When his contract was up, they pushed hard to return to Iowa, and his admission to UIHC Carver College of Medicine was the seal of approval.
Back in her favorite place, she picked up where she'd left off, becoming President of ICCT, and even found new groups where she could work for her community. She joined the Leadership Committee of the South District Neighborhood Association and the Voter Services Committee and Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters of Johnson County. She's a teacher, a proud aunt to lots of amazing kids, a military spouse, and an animal lover. |