1. Where are you from?
I am from the mountains and deserts of Utah where I camped, skied, hiked, fished, and played. I grew up in Salt Lake City. I have lived in Oregon, Washington, and California, then came back and raised my family in Utah.
2. What and where have you studied?
I earned a BS in dance, PE, and math education from Utah State University where I attended on a dance scholarship and was awarded outstanding senior of the year at graduation. I also earned an MEd in Educational Leadership from BYU.
3. Where have you previously worked?
My most formative job was as a dance teaching artist at the Life Arts Center in Sandy Utah for 11 years. We taught integrated arts and creative development to ages three through adulthood. I also taught math, PE, and dance in Jordan School District and in Lewiston, Idaho.
4. What is your current job title? Please describe what you do in that position.
I am the founding director of the BYU ARTS Partnership, working to improve student learning and school culture through the arts. I lead a team of incredible people to provide professional development in the arts and arts integration to teachers across 12 school districts and in over 40 charter schools.
5. Why did you choose to work at BYU?
I am grateful to work at BYU because of the focus on Christlike teaching and the extensive support of high-quality arts. The arts provide spiritual experiences in universal languages that develop creativity, empathy, and beauty in the world. Through the BYU Public School Partnership, the arts can positively influence education and schooling by bringing these divine attributes into daily learning experiences. The McKay School of Education has an endowment and several grants specifically for arts education, blessing the lives of our community immeasurably. I am grateful to be a part of it.
6. Growing up, what teacher inspired you the most? How?
My junior high Spanish teacher, Señor Wiersdorf, spoke German, Spanish, English, and a bit of French. I fell in love with countries and people across the world as we sang along with his guitar, ate new foods, and had rich conversations in Spanish. Each year, we competed in the BYU Language Fair, inspiring and revealing our competence. Because of Señor Wiersdorf, I fell in love with the language and took four more years of Spanish classes. However, I spoke better conversational Spanish after three years with Señor Wiersdorf than I did four years later in college. I seldom use the language today, but my knowledge about the countries and cultures I studied is central to my understanding of the world.
7. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My greatest opportunity has been to raise my four children. I am very proud of each of them. They have all pursued the arts in their lives and use their arts skills and dispositions in their various lines of work and in their families. I enjoy being with them, their spouses, and their children and marvel at their life choices and gifts.
8. What’s the most exciting thing you’ll do in 2024?
In July 2024, I will be attending the Dance and the Child International (daCi) Conference in Slovenia with visits to national parks in Croatia and Venice, Italy. The vision of daCi is to propel intergenerational dance, with a focus on the needs of children. Dancers of all ages attend this professional conference. Dancing with people from all over the world who share these values is life changing. A career highlight for me happened at daCi in Australia, 2018. Conference participants walked through the local hospital to witness 12–15 choreographies, created by other participants of the conference, held in various locations in the Adelaide hospital. The sounds of elevators and calls to doctors on the intercom underscored the life-changing work that continued all around us. Dances about heart disease, pediatric illnesses, mental health, systemic and institutional challenges, geriatric care and more, revealed challenges and elicited commitment to elevating health care for all. The arts can tell hard stories while activating hope and resilience. I can’t wait to experience the conference this year in Slovenia.
9. Do you collect anything?
I love rocks. I had a standing fountain built for my backyard just so I would have a place to put some of my rocks that I have collected over the years.
Where could we find you on most Saturday mornings?
My favorite Saturday morning activity is playing trains with my 2.5 year-old grandson on FaceTime. He likes to watch the trains go around the train track over the video call and is adamant that I connect the cargo cars to the matching engines. It doesn’t last long, but he makes me laugh and reminds me to keep life simple.