As a wild toddler growing up on the water in Long Beach Island, NJ, my mom made sure that I could swim as soon as I could walk, and I have loved the water ever since. Between swim team, lifeguard training, and summers at the Jersey Shore, I spent my entire childhood in the water year round. As I headed off to college, I felt a calling to work with young children and pursued a degree in Early Childhood Education.
I love every minute of being a homeschool mom, and the community and opportunities that we have found in Ponte Vedra have been such a blessing for our family. One day, on our way to a homeschool event, a car passed me on the highway with ISR advertising on the back windshield. I was immediately overcome with the emotional memory of our two year old daughter slipping into the pool unnoticed while I buckled our youngest sons into their life jackets. Fortunately my nephew, who was only a toddler himself, alerted us to the situation and tragedy was averted.
I have always desired to be in a position where I can make a positive impact on the lives of children. Seeing the ISR advertisement, I knew it was the next thing that I was being called to do. I can't think of a better way to combine my passions of being in the water and working with little ones than to teach water survival skills to young children and help fulfill ISR's mission of "not one more child drowns."
After graduating from UNCW, I spent several years as the director of a child care facility while my husband and I raised our first two daughters and I worked on getting my masters degree in elementary education. I then spent a few years working in the public school system until our next three children were born. As a mama of 5 kiddos, I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to stay home with my children and focus my attention on raising my babies. From skiing, to kayaking, to hiking the mountains of Pennsylvania, our family loved being active and outdoors as much as possible.
Fast forward 10 years, and our oldest two daughters went off to college while our youngest three enjoyed the flexibility and freedom of homeschooling. My husband and I felt the pull to be back near the water and moved our family down to Ponte Vedra, FL. Some of my fondest memories as a child were of being out on the water, and my dream was to give those same opportunities to my children.
Proudly serving Nocatee, FL and the surrounding area
It is my mission to empower young children by teaching them the skills they need to safely enjoy the water and survive in the event of an aquatic emergency.