After earning my degree from Illinois State University, I chose to return to my hometown district. Now, I'm proud to celebrate my 31st year with West Aurora District 129! Starting as an elementary special education teacher, I concluded my classroom journey in a first-grade setting. In my current role as the District 129 Professional Learning Coordinator, I manage our new staff induction program and West Aurora University—an in-house professional learning system. Advocating for new educators has become a passion, and I thoroughly enjoy sharing the enriching professional learning experiences within District 129 with others.