Meet The Team

I’m a proud graduate of Marshall University with a BA in Broadcast Journalism. I started my career as a news reporter in WV and then SC where I would broadcast to hundreds of thousands of people about the daily happenings, many times truly impromptu due to not having enough time to gather info about breaking news, or system failures that made the teleprompter go blank.  

I was a National Champion in Impromptu speaking in college and a National Runner-up in Extemporaneous speaking. I have judged more than 30 national final rounds at the collegiate, high school, and middle school levels. I have coached 5 high school and 4 middle school national champions. Speech and debate has helped me to find my own voice and to assist others in cultivating their voices. 

Speech and debate gave me a group of friends when I had few. For me, it was the light at the end of a tunnel. I love instilling confidence in my students; in my experience, students really shine after they feel true confidence. I am an Illinois native, who now travels a great deal. I have spent a year as a professional actor in Chicago. For many years I used my acting skills in the sales world.

What I love about teaching is witnessing the moments of discovery in my students. I enjoy watching them master something they’ve been working on for a while. As a working actress, I had to get used to failure and rejection. However, I’ve learned that what you do during those moments is crucial to the success of your objective. Therefore, I encourage students to learn from their mistakes.

I eventually worked my way up to finaling at my state tournament and competing at the U.S. National Tournament 3 times. I have been coaching for 5 years, and have been lucky enough to coach students that reached the semi-finals of the US National Tournament, the National Debate Team of the Czech Republic, the Edinburgh Debates Union, as well as many young students just starting their debate career.

With years of experience in both teaching and competitive debate, I’ve had the privilege of guiding students to find their voices and develop critical thinking skills. I have a strong background in debate, not only in high school, but later in Biomedical Debate and Ethics Bowl during college. Every summer, I teach at a public speaking and debate camp, where I help students develop their communication skills and confidence. Throughout my college years I took on various tutoring roles and served as a teaching assistant, further honing my skills in education and mentorship.