Hello Panthers, I was born in Arlington, Texas and music has been apart of my life since I was born! My dad is a retired orchestra director of 32 years and introduced me to the violin at the young age of five.  I continued my music studies through out high school participating in Orchestra as well as playing in various string ensembles.  After graduating from high school, I pursued my music career at Northwestern State University where I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education.  In 1999 I took my first teaching job in Sugar Land, TX as the assistant orchestra director at First Colony MS and Garcia MS. The following year I took on the role as a head orchestra director at Sugar Land Middle School and taught there from 2000-2013.  In 2013 my husbands job promoted him into a position moving us to the Dallas metroplex and me teaching orchestra in Plano ISD.  I am now on my 7th year as the head orchestra director at Schimelpfenig MS and love every minute of it!   The Schimelpfenig Orchestra has a long tradition of success earning multiple Sweepstakes awards at UIL and Best in Class awards at national music competitions.  Some of my personal acheivements include being recognized as the TexASTA Marjorie Keller Young Teacher of the Year Award in 2004. I am a proud member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Director’s Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Mu Omicron, and the international music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota. I reside in Plano, TX with my husband of 20 years and 2 sons (ages 15 and 12) who are always on the go and keep me busy!