I was born and raised in Williston, ND. I attended UND-GF where I earned my bachelor's in elementary education. From there I was hired as a kindergarten teacher at Sweetwater Elementary here in Devils Lake. After 3 years, I switched gears and began working as a school counselor designate while I earned my masters in education as a school counselor. I have previously worked in both middle and high school settings, but ended up working at Prairie View fulltime where I will be completing my 20th year in the district at the end of the 2024-25 school year.  I have served on our North Dakota School Counselor Association's board as an interactive technologist, building a website for us and would someday like to get back into a leadership role for school counselors and/or possibly go back to school to earn my doctorate.  

    When I am not working during the school day or following my children to their activities, I like to stay busy so I have picked up other jobs in order to do so. Previously, I worked as a house maid as well as a bartender. Currently, I work at the Creel Bay Golf Course and JD's Bar and Grill. In my little bit of free time, I love to play golf, workout at Lake Region Fitness, be on the lake, play cards/games, go camping, listen to live music, and just enjoy the summer nights with friends and family.

     My daughter was born in 2009, a month after I crossed the graduate stage. She will be a junior in high school this fall. She is extremely talented in the fine arts keeping us busy between playing cello in the orchestra, singing in the choir or at open mic events, trying to kick start her acting career by earning lead roles in drama and theater and you can even find her this summer playing a part in the Fort Totten Little Theater's rendition of "Legally Blonde". She will also be traveling with her orchestra group to Florida to have the opportunity to play at the happiest place on earth, Disney World. 

     My son was born in 2011. He will be finishing up his last year of middle school as he enters 8th grade in the fall. He keeps us on our toes playing all the sports he can, including cross country, basketball, baseball and golf. He is also an avid outdoors hunter/fisherman getting many early mornings in for those geese, ducks, deer and fish. He will be traveling to NYC and Washington, D.C. with a group of students this summer as well to take in all the history of our country.

     I will have been married to my wife, Courtney, for 4 years in July. She hails from the lakes of Minnesota and has slowly learned to live in the tundra here in North Dakota. She quickly established herself within the community as a positive role model. She is a Special Education teacher at the high school and also serves as the Girls Golf assistant coach and Girls Softball head coach. When she has free time, she enjoys spending her time outdoors in Devils Lake, whether it's golfing, kayaking, or fishing as well as showing off her creativity with crafting and house interior remodels. 

     As a family, we love to travel with each other, whether it's for family related events or new adventures. We have recently been to California to hit up all the sights and sounds of the west coast, Arizona for a family winter getaway with extended relatives and we will be heading to Iowa and Oklahoma for the first time this summer for a couple family functions. We do get over to Minnesota quite a bit as well to visit our ever growing family and a few friends, but in the end, we all love to come back home to Devils Lake where we enjoy getting out and utilizing what our town has to offer as much as we can. We love a good family game night, movie night or getting out on the town hitting up one of the many wonderful local restaurants such as Black Paws Brewery and the Ranch Steakhouse.

    Here in Devils Lake, where I never thought I would call it home and planned on staying 5 years max, my expectations have been exceeded. We have met some of the greatest people who we call friends, but think of as family. Without hesitation, I have had community members drop prescription meds off at my door over a weekend emergency with a child, bring their bobcat over and clean my driveway when coming home in a blizzard multiple times, pay for my wedding meal unexpectedly, drop off unused or gently used outgrown children's clothes/items for my own children, offer to take care of our pets when we leave town, squeeze me in last minute for a haircut or to make a personalized clothing item, or even make time for an unexpected photo session for professional headshots - and the list continues to go on. I'm proud to be a part of this community and the growth it has made in the years I have built a family and home here.