I was born and raised in Southern California, and lived there until my mid-twenties, when I relocated to the foothills of the Sequoia National Forest. In 1986, I received my bachelor's degree in English from Cal. State Fresno and in that same year gave birth to the light of my life, my son, Aaron. In 1990 I returned to Southern California only to realize, after a few years, that I did not want to raise my child in a big city. So it was off to the Big Island of Hawaii where we spent a glorious year before relocating to Nevada County in 1994. I have worked in the field of Education for the past 25 years. My experiences have been diverse and include work as a tutor, instructional assistant, classroom and Home School instructor, substitute teacher, Curriculum Development Coordinator and After-School Child Care Director.

I hold a B.A. in English with Post-Baccalaureate work in Liberal Studies, including one year in the Teacher Credential Program at CSU Northridge.