Our Approach

I got into education because I wanted to make the world a better place by reaching our youth. I started as a classroom teacher at 21, on the fast track to seeing my dreams through. I love being a classroom teacher. But parenting changed my life in the best of ways. Homeschooling combined my two greatest passions into one incredible journey.

Since I was little, the idea of being a one-room schoolhouse teacher like Anne Shirley lived deep within my soul. I found this dream fulfilled in homeschooling. I love homeschooling my children because I can see all five of them differently and encourage them in their uniqueness. I have a son who loves aviation, so homeschooling him looks like trips to museums, field trips, getting his private pilot's license, concurrent enrollment, and lots and lots of books. He is involved in aviation clubs and organizations and has found best friends that share his interests. I have a son who struggles with speech. He has loved his online speech provider. We have moved at a pace that shows him more success than frustration and have kept joy in learning alive in him. I have boys who love math and others who love learning hands-on. I have the flexibility to do what works for each of them. For my daughter, homeschooling is about relationships. She loves being around me and working right alongside me at “our job”. For all my children, homeschooling has provided time. One of my favorite times of day is when I am curled up on the couch reading aloud. I don’t ever want to take for granted the days my children beg, “Please, just one more chapter!” My children have time to play and build relationships with each other. Whether making forts or playing family baseball in the yard, they are growing, maturing, and becoming the best versions of themselves. The flexibility of homeschooling makes living this beautifully busy and family-centered life possible. I love working with so many passionate family-centered professionals. I am also passionate about helping other families to see their dreams come true in homeschooling by empowering them to take on this brave, adventurous life where every child can be educated in the way they learn and thrive best.

I have always believed that all children can learn and thrive, especially when they have the support of caring mentors. As a long-time educator and a mother of two wonderful children, I am passionate about helping students learn, grow, and realize their full potential. It is truly a gift to partner with families to help our young people develop in their interests and talents.

I love that Heartland provides families with choice in education. Learning is not "one-size-fits-all" and recognizing the needs of each student is important to ensuring excellence in education. Homeschooling with Heartland allows parents and guardians to be actively involved as learning coaches to guide and encourage each of their students, working alongside teachers and other Heartland staff to provide a rich, beautiful, and personalized education. It is an honor and a joy to serve the Heartland community, carrying this vision of education with me on a daily basis, as I work with our families, students, teachers, leaders, support staff, and community members.

I'll never forget the year while at USC when I taught a community journalism course to a group of 4th graders in South Central L.A. My students didn't ever think it was possible to venture beyond their backyard and one day achieve the goal of becoming a college student. That year they learned how to write from their heart and speak of their passion and curiosity. Developing this newspaper for their parents and community meant realizing that they had a voice, the most beautiful voice. Years later, one of my students reached out to me on Facebook and told me that she had just been accepted into college and was going to vet school. She thanked me for helping her to realize that she had something valuable to say and that I challenged her to believe something outside of what she could ever imagine. At that moment, it clicked for me. If given the opportunity to see how they shine and to know their worth, every single child can learn and pursue the gifts that they have been given. I love helping others to see their greatest potential and to watch them blossom! All I wanted to do moving forward was to foster a love of learning and to help our children see that their passion is always worth pursuing.

Fast forward twenty years later and I find myself immersed in the joy of homeschooling my own two girls since their earliest preschool days. I had no idea what started as a passion for pouring into my girls and learning alongside them grew into my life’s passion. In fact, my oldest has now entered high school with Heartland and loves performing with her local dance company and writing piano music. I still remember those precious days hiking behind our hill with our bird book in one hand, watercolors in the other, followed by afternoon tea alongside a great poem. The Heartland homeschool community is MY homeschool community, where my girls get to share field trip experiences with other children, support teachers who impart a love of learning, and where I get to be a part of growing the homeschool heart among our teachers and families. I am passionate about families and it is my heart to see every family learn, develop a growth mindset, and share their most precious memories with one another. I am incredibly thankful that I get to do this good work each and every day alongside some of the most passionate and dedicated people!

My vision of education was initially formed by my personal experience starting at a young age, and has continued to shift over time. Teaching in different environments (both traditional and alternative), leading a school through a successful restructuring process, and becoming a parent to a social, high-energy daughter and an observant, inquisitive son have all impacted how I view education, and the importance of learning style awareness.

I believe learning is a gift that we all access in our own unique way. Being part of a community of creative and passionate educators has helped sculpt my vision of education, as well as continues to teach me about so many wonderful ways to learn. Education should allow for creativity, encourage children to find and explore passions, be individualized, and provide a wide variety of learning options for students to dive into. Finding and creating new opportunities for our students to learn through is a passion of mine, as I know each new learning pathway will allow a student to find success.