This is my 14th year of teaching Drama and Musical Theatre at Ransom Everglades, and I am the seventh-grade advisory leader, building curriculum to further the social-emotional growth of students and to build campus camaraderie. Each year, I direct and choreograph a production where students can take their arts education beyond the classroom. I believe in learning through play and creativity while building a strong ensemble in a safe, joyful space. I attended New World School of the Arts, received my B.M. in Musical Theatre from the conservatory program at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, and my M.A.L.S. also from UM. Prior to RE, I worked with the National Foundation for the Advancement of Arts’ YoungArts program. I am also a professional stage and voice actor. My husband and I are proud parents of three children.

After working with the Ransom Everglades dance team and Cinderella in 2022-23, I am a member of the RE performing arts department offering the Art of Dance course at the upper school, coaching the dance team, and choreographing the upcoming spring musical. I am also in my third year as the head coach for the Hurricanettes dance team at the University of Miami. I moved to Miami in 2021 after completing five years with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, where I served as captain for two years and filmed five seasons of CMT's television show Making the Team. I was selected as a member of the team's elite Showgroup squad traveling on a USO tour, taught as a master clinician for the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders Academy, and performed with such musical artists as Meghan Trainer, Queen, Ellie Goulding, Eric Church and Thomas Rhett. I am originally from Baton Rouge and graduated with a degree in public relations from Louisiana State University where I was a member of the Golden Girls dance team and LSU theater program. I have taught and choreographed for all levels of dance and adjudicated various collegiate dance team auditions. My love for dance and musical theater started in high school, and I am excited to be able to share that passion with the students at RE!

Since answering the call a few years ago to chair the Performing Arts Department, I have focused on supporting my colleagues and building new courses and programs. During this time my students have garnered national honors, including at the Berklee and National Jazz Festivals. A former professional performer in the Midwest and in South Florida, I enjoyed working as an orchestral, jazz and popular musician on trombone, string bass, guitar and voice. I graduated with honors in music education and performance from Indiana State, followed by coursework at DePauw, Illinois Wesleyan and the University of Miami. My hobbies include cooking and fitness, studying science, Middle Eastern history and religion and learning the Great American Songbook. I enjoy sharing my passion for music with my students, their parents and my colleagues, family and friends.

As a member of the Ransom Everglades community, I have the pleasure of teaching Stage Production and Design 1 and 2, as well as team-teaching Python Coding and Music Technology. I’ve had the privilege of working in the entertainment and theatre industry for more than 16 years, with music technology a passion of mine. I’ve enjoyed a varied career in television production and had a wealth of wonderful experiences, including working as the audio engineer for Grammy-Award-winning artists, but nothing comes close to sharing the exciting experiences and lessons I’ve accrued with my students while watching them grow into amazing theatre professionals. I received my bachelor’s degree in music technology from Florida Atlantic University, and was trained as a classical pianist – the piano just one of many instruments that I enjoy. I’m thankful for life’s many blessings, including my wife, Amanda, our dog, Summer, and our cat, August.

My passion for music began in elementary school. By middle school I knew I wanted a career in instrumental music education. I completed a BM in Music Ed at Millikin University, a MS in Music Ed at the American Band College (ABC) at Southern Oregon University. I moved to Miami in 1989,  taught eleven years in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and joined the Ransom Everglades community in 2000. I served on staff of the ABC and their affiliate Western International Band Clinic from 2000-2018. I am a Past President of the Florida Bandmasters Association and an administrator for the 30,000+ member Band Director Facebook PLC. In 2018, my conviction for equal access to music education resources inspired me to form Music Mentor Network, a nonprofit organization with a mission to “eliminate any obstacles that prevent student musicians from reaching their highest musical potential.” In 2023, I completed a Masters in Nonprofit Management to better pursue that goal.

After working in costume design, I returned to my hometown of Miami to head the dance program at Ransom Everglades. My pedagogy as a dance teacher has always been rooted in building confidence and celebrating each of my student's "innateness,” allowing students to welcome vulnerability in the creation of movable art and dismissing a culture of judgment in interpreting art. We focus on exploring and accentuating our learned and natural talents, seeking to understand ourselves, how we reside within the ensemble, and move through diverse spheres. I received my BA in theatre and a minor in dance from Rollins College as the recipient of the Priscilla Parker Theatre Scholarship for Excellence in Design. I received my MFA in Theatre and Design from CalArts. My design work has been featured at theaters around the nation and was showcased at both The Prague Quadrennial and Scenofest (2007) and Design Meeting originally held by Ming Cho Lee. In my personal life, I continue to dabble in the sartorial arts and curate a collection of classic rock T-shirts, serving as a nail art connoisseur as well as a sneaker aficionado.

From a career as a classical and musical theater singer, actress and performing arts educator, I bring over 20 years of performance and teaching experience to Ransom Everglades’ middle and upper school acting programs and Thespian Honor Society. I previously worked at St. Brendan High, where I served as drama and vocal ensemble instructor, thespian sponsor, Art Department Chair and Director of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy. A native of Miami, I attended the University of Miami and earned a bachelor’s in Vocal Performance. I have studied voice and acting abroad at the University of Miami at Salzburg Program in Austria and at L’Istituto Internazionale di Arti Vocali in Italy.  Locally, I have performed with Miami Lyric Opera, Young Patronesses of the Opera, Miami Mozarteum, the Bach Society, Civic Chorale of Greater Miami, Pro Arte Grateli and Cameo Concert. My husband, Greg, and I have a 10-year-old son, Tristan, who loves to act.

A graduate of the University of Miami, I began my career in theater at the Coconut Grove Playhouse where I continued to write and direct for eight seasons. I had the privilege of presenting environmental education and literacy incentive plays for young audiences that continue to entertain and educate tens of thousands of students throughout Florida each year. My work has been supported and developed by several organizations including: The Playwright Center Minneapolis, FAU Theatre Lab New Play Festival (2017 and 2020), Mangrove Creative Collective, Fantasy Theatre Factory at Sandrell Rivers Theater, The Greenhouse at Florida International University, The Miami Dade Department Cultural Affairs Playwright Development Program, City Theatre and the Center for Performing Arts Minneapolis.

I came to Ransom Everglades four years ago as a substitute teacher, and today I am the strings music director and the AP Music Theory teacher for the upper school. A native of Endwell, N.Y., I have devoted my life to the study, performance and teaching of music. I began studying the violin at an early age, and my experience spans nearly 40 years, performing and recording with a wide array of symphony orchestras, ballets and opera companies featuring the biggest names in popular and classical music. I earned degrees from Stetson University and the University of Miami. My goals as a teacher are to empower and educate students with the passion and knowledge I have gained and to share the gift of music with the community.

As piano accompanist and music director at Ransom Everglades, I strive with every opportunity to provide my students with the knowledge, insight and interest in developing musicality, technique, appreciation and the tools to approach music in their own way. I hold a BM in piano performance from the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami and an MM in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Toronto. When I’m not behind the piano, I love to play sports, work out, try new recipes and travel.