Career

My earliest jobs were at my family’s nursery - filling flats, dumping previous season plants, and driving deliveries to garden centers and florists around the state. After high school, I set out to make my own path, starting with college. I have been an educator for more than a decade but that was not always my intended route. I planned to be an attorney until, while in college, I got a job at Youth Outreach in Newberg and connected with local teens, some of whom were at-risk and needed an advocate. They taught me to play Magic the Gathering and they showed me where they had been failed. It changed my course and I decided to go into education so I could try to help and support kids before they needed an attorney. I started working for the City of Eugene, in the recreation department, leading after school support programs and summer outdoor adventure camps. I loved it and held that job through grad school. As much as I enjoyed that position, when I finished my Masters, I wanted to come back home to Yamhill County. I left Eugene to student teach in the halls where I earned my first diploma and moved with my new husband back to Dayton, where I was born and raised. After a few years of substitute teaching, which worked great for my young growing family, I took a permanent position in Dayton, teaching Government and Economics at the High School, the role I hold today. I take extra steps to serve our students by maintaining a resource closet of food and toiletries, advising clubs and classes, and bringing in my contacts to supplement their education. My students have had opportunities to network with lenders, CEO’s, Commissioners, planners, business owners, Senators, Congressional staffers, the county Sheriff, city staff and other officials - to learn about the government from those actually working in it. I hope to talk to students around the county about our systems and processes as a commissioner and encourage more young people to get involved in politics.