Faculty Profile

God has blessed me with a variety of life experiences!!

After graduating from Spring Arbor College with a bachelor’s in biology and psychology, I spent the next four years working as a paramedic on an ambulance and in the emergency department as well as working in Montana as a forest fire helicopter medic. I enjoyed the challenge of helping people but some of these experiences challenged my faith as I saw firsthand the pain and suffering of others. Most troublesome for me were ones involving teens – especially vehicle accidents and suicide attempts. It seemed I was always just responding…often too late. Perhaps as a counselor in the school setting, I could help teens make better choices.

To be a school counselor then required a minimum of two years teaching experience. I returned to Spring Arbor to acquire credentials as a secondary science teacher. While teaching science at Reed City Public Schools, I entered a graduate program in counseling at Michigan State University. Upon completion of the degree, I left Reed City to become a high school counselor where I remained for 14 years until I learned about a position at SAU in their new Master of Arts in Counseling program. In 2002, I left public education to serve SAU as program coordinator and eventually program director. In 2008, I transitioned to my current role of teaching in our undergraduate psychology department.

Areas of professional interest include brain physiology, autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, and developmental trauma. My husband and I have been married for 30 years and have two amazing sons. We enjoy training dogs, farming, and hunting for rocks along Michigan’s beautiful beaches.

My first exposure to Spring Arbor College was as a child attending my grandmother’s yearly alumni events. Growing up I heard many stories about the wonderful people of Spring Arbor. As a college student, I experienced the transformational culture of Spring Arbor for myself. It proved to be a special place that was life changing. When I heard about the opportunity to return to Spring Arbor decades later as an employee, I jumped at the chance. I am blessed to be able to teach concepts in psychology as a means of helping students better understand themselves, others, and the world around them—all through the lens of a Christian perspective. I cannot think of anything more rewarding for me than being here at SAU, an institution of higher education that is unapologetically Christian and that empowers me to share my knowledge, experience, and passion for the field of psychology as a means of helping students grow in their faith.