Before moving to Austin in the summer of 2022 and starting as High School Principal that fall, I served as the Upper School Dean of Academics for five years at Second Baptist School in Houston, Texas. Originally from Houston, I moved to Dublin, Ohio for middle and high school. I returned to Houston and attended Rice University as an undergraduate, where I received a B.A. in English and Philosophy. After teaching various English courses and Model United Nations for a number of years, I attained an M.S. in Education with a Specialization in Learning Design & Technology from Purdue University in 2018. It is truly a blessing and a privilege to serve at Hill Country!
What is your favorite sport?
Baseball
What is your favorite hobby?
I like to joke that I never met a hobby that I didn’t enjoy. Much to my chagrin, I have too many to count! A few of them include cooking, hiking, reading, and traveling. I also love trivia and have spent a lifetime training for “Jeopardy.” Still hoping to make the show!
What is your favorite food?
Probably pizza or sushi, depending on the mood.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
An astronaut! Back in the day, I went to Space Camp and loved it. My interest in being a mission specialist on the space shuttle skyrocketed (pun intended) after I was awarded “Most Outstanding Camper”—or, as I like to call it, the title of “World’s Biggest Nerd.”
Other than the Bible, what is your all-time favorite book?
This is another one of those “too many to count” answers. Since childhood, I have loved and reread The Phantom Tollbooth, a wonderful allegory for the learning process. Probably fitting for someone who ended up in education!
What is an interesting fact about you that not many people know?
Fun fact: as children, my sister and I were given the opportunity to press the ignition button for an evening fireworks display at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. They gave us a certificate to commemorate the event!
What is your verse or passage of Scripture?
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 8:37-39
Who has had the greatest influence on your life and why?
My mother. She set a wonderful example for my sister and I for what it means to love God and others at an early age. Regardless of the season of life or the challenges she may have experienced, she always taught us to persevere in hope and to find joy and laughter in any circumstance, traits to which we aspire that have served us well.
What do you believe makes Hill Country distinct?
One of the distinctives that makes Hill Country special is the emphasis on student leadership opportunities, especially as students are entrusted with the responsibility of planning and executing many significant aspects of student life. From our high school retreat to our chapel program to Student Council events and various school traditions, students take on an important role in leadership, which invests them further in their experience here and prepares them for college and beyond.
What do you love about working at Hill Country?
I love that our approach to classical Christian education affords students the opportunity to experience school in a way that is Christ-centered and rooted in Scripture, academically excellent, and as engaging and enjoyable as possible. Our teachers are incredible, and they do an amazing job of ensuring these attributes are not mutually exclusive with one another.