A geologist. That's what I wanted to be one day when I grew up - a geologist! From the age of five I wanted to be someone who studied rocks. I found rocks. I collected dozens and dozens of them. I used my MacGyver skills to hide them in the most odd and random locations. And rocks led me to North Dakota State University in the fall of 2006 where my eyes were opened to teaching others about the amazing planet we call home - and all the rocks that we have here (and the things that we use that come from rocks). At the ripe age of 22, I took off for Antarctica to study more rocks and to tackle some challenging research questions related to climate change and landscape evolution, while at the same time leading a group of 8th graders from a middle school classroom in Fargo, ND. Through this experience my passion shifted...not away from rocks completely, but to a new found energy to engage young minds in the complexities of our fascinating world. My journey through life has funneled me deeper and deeper into education. New things constantly sparking my desire to learn about humans, their connectedness to each other (or their lack thereof), and their connectedness to Earth. My graduate degrees continued to foster this burning energy inside of me to engage with others about their experiences and how education supported or deterred them from reaching their goals. Today I find myself at the intersection of a complex system of US American education and a society wanting something better for the young minds of the future. This is now where I stand. Here I can now use my talents and strengths to lead others into a new journey of educational thinking. I hope to inspire, educate, grow, and tinker alongside the best educators and students in the country as we work collectively to build a new model of education that authentically meets the needs of all children...wherever they may be... and in whatever way might be best for each individual child.