After receiving my BA in English from Michigan State University, I've had a variety of experiences in education. First, I did my year-long teaching internship at Grand Rapids Union High School. I then taught one year at the West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science before being hired by Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids, MI. At Northview, I taught seventh and eighth grade language arts and social studies for seven years before moving to the high school. At Northview High School, I've taught a variety of classes in social studies and English since 2003. Along the way, I earned my M.Ed in Reading from Grand Valley State University. Currently, I teach Pre-AP World History & Geography.I've also coached at both the middle and high school levels for Northview Public Schools. For ten years, I coached middle school and high school wrestling. I also coached high school baseball for nine years.I’ve been umpiring since my high school days, however, I've been working consistently in amateur baseball since 2006. My story is the tale of what umpire camps and perseverance can accomplish. I've demonstrated that the umpire camp route is an alternative to the professional umpire school path. My road to success has been through self-study, camps, and clinics, most notably Bruce Doane’s camps. I've attended the Doane February camp, 2-man advanced camp, and 3-man camp on multiple occasions. I also attended the CBUA 4-Man Invitation Clinic twice. I've worked high school (MHSAA), JUCO (MCCAA), NAIA (WHAC/Crossroads), and NCAA Division I (MAC) (Horizon) (MVC), II (GLIAC), and III (MIAA) contests. Also, I worked a Big Ten Conference non-con game in 2023 along with MAC and Horizon League series, and MVC non-con games. In 2022, I worked the GLIAC NCAA DII Conference tournament and the NCAA Division III Regionals. In 2023, I worked the NJCAA Division III, Region 12 tournament, and the MIAA Tournament. Additionally, I've worked the MHSAA State Finals three times (2015, 2019, & 2023). I'm always trying to hone my umpire skills to continue moving up the umpiring ladder. I took on an assigner role, assigning varsity MHSAA baseball games for the West Michigan Umpire Association and tournament and travel team games for the Grand Rapids Umpire Alliance. I am happily married, has one daughter, and teach high school Social Studies and English in Grand Rapids, Michigan.