After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master of Education degree in Secondary Education History, I still wanted to further my graduate studies in United States History. In 2010, I was awarded a James Madison Fellowship that allowed me to pursue a Master of Arts degree in United States History at the University of Illinois at Chicago, which was conferred in December 2013. My minor areas of focus were the Early Republic and African American History (pre-Civil War). I have developed and wrote critical content for a history elective, History of Illinois and Metropolitan Chicago, that I taught for the first time in the fall of 2016. Most recently I wrote a course proposal, critical content, and created a syllabus for a new history elective, African American History, that was approved by the Board of Education for Community Unit School District 200. I taught the African American History course for the first time in the spring of 2021. Most recently, I was appointed as an Affiliate Lecturer in the Department of History at Loyola University of Chicago and had adjunct faculty status at Loyola from the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2021.

I continue to seek out professional development opportunities that provide me with a deeper knowledge of United States history so that I can continue to create a challenging learning environment for my students. My passion for the subject of history and working with young people is what led me to a career in education. I incorporate my knowledge of history into student-centered discussions and activities that engage students and encourages them to broaden their understanding of history and their mastery of historical thinking skills.