About Me

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Supporting the Whole Gifted Child—With Heart, Expertise, and Advocacy

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My Why

Life has a way of shaping us through both challenge and discovery, and my journey as an educator has been no exception. I created Gifted Now What as a space for families and educators navigating the real-world complexities of giftedness and twice-exceptionality (2e). Whether you’re advocating for your child or trying to meet the needs of advanced learners in your classroom, I’m here to help you feel empowered, informed, and supported.

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Gifted learners don’t just need harder work—they need deeper understanding. And so do the adults walking this road beside them.

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My Roots

I grew up in a small farming community in Eastern Washington, grounded in the values of creativity, perseverance, and hard work. Raised by small business owners, one a first-generation farmer, I learned the importance of building something meaningful from the ground up and following your passions with purpose.

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My Credentials

I hold a:

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a minor in Business

• Master’s degree in Teaching

• Administrator Certification

• National Board Certification in Exceptional Needs, specializing in Gifted and Talented Education

 

My classroom journey began in middle school special education and evolved into teaching English, history, and honors courses. Eventually, I found my home in gifted education. From 2018 to 2024, I taught 4th grade in a gifted magnet program, and I now serve as a K–5 Highly Capable Facilitator and Teacher, collaborating with students and educators across multiple schools.

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My Work

In every role, whether as a teacher, coach, presenter, or consultant, I’ve centered my work on helping gifted learners thrive as whole people.

 

I work closely with educators, schools, and families to:

• Navigate identification and services

• Design differentiated instruction using Depth & Complexity and Bloom’s Taxonomy

• Understand and support 2e students

• Build bridges between school and home

• Create programs that center both challenge and care

 

I regularly present at national and regional conferences like WAETAG and NAGC, and I lead professional development that translates research into real strategies teachers can use.

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Designed & Presented:

• Depth & Complexity 101 - WAETAG (Washington Association of Educators of the Gifted & Talented) April 2025

• Into to Depth & Complexity - Rosa Parks Elem, March 2025

• Depth & Complexity on the Fly-Lake WA School District Dec 2024

• Depth & Complexity on the Fly - NAGC (National Association of Gifted Children) National Conference, Nov. 2024

• Socratic Seminar - WAETAG Spring Summit, April 20 & 27, 2024

• Integrating Kaplan’s Depth & Complexity Icons - Richland School District (RSD), January 2024.

• Socratic Seminar - WAETAG Annual Convention, Oct. 2022 & Oct. 2023.

• Team Building - Lewis & Clark Elementary School (LCE), Aug. 2022.

• Highly Capable - Badger Mountain Elementary (2017) and Lewis & Clark Elementary, Richland, WA (2018).

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​My Lived Experience

Perhaps my most important title is Mom. I’m the proud mother of three twice-exceptional daughters—one on the autism spectrum and two who are hard of hearing. All three were gifted learners who thrived in advanced courses despite their unique learning needs. Their journeys taught me what no textbook ever could: that giftedness is more than a label. It’s a lived experience that affects every corner of a child’s life, whether academic, emotional, social, and/or sensory.

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Through my journey raising my beautiful daughters, their brilliance, sensitivity, and differences have shaped how I teach, coach, advocate, and lead.

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Why It Matters

Gifted learners need more than acceleration—they need empathy, nuance, flexibility, and strategy. Whether you're a parent advocating for your child or an educator striving to differentiate with limited resources, I see you. I’ve lived it. And I’m here to help.

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Through Gifted Now What, I bring together professional expertise and personal insight to support you with tools, strategies, and clarity—so you don’t have to figure it out alone.