# data[].attributes.body
I grew up in northern New Jersey with my sister and tons of cousins. We were raised by our grandparents and had your typical big, loud Italian family.

# data[].attributes.body
I did my undergrad at Philadelphia University and received my BS in Biology. Many years (truthfully it was 2 decades) later, I received my MA in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from Central Michigan University. The first half of my MA was completed as a part of my alternate route teacher training.

# data[].attributes.body
After going to college for Biology, I found my way into zoo keeping.  I was a zoo keeper and curator for about 16 years.  Its hard to find a type of animal I haven't worked with, but people are usually surprised to learn that I LOVE domestic livestock and invertebrates.  I'll take a goat, beetle or spider over a tiger or shark any day.  I've worked at Philadelphia Zoo, Roger Williams Park Zoo, Woodland Park Zoo and the Downtown Aquarium in Houston.

# data[].attributes.body
I have taught high school in New Jersey (where I currently teach again) and middle school in Texas. I love Biology as a subject and enjoy finding ways to make topics fun and relatable. The image is a model created by a group of students in one of my Honors Bio classes last year that depicts the photosystems and energy transfer in photosynthesis...yes, the molecules do have googly eyes :) The students also really knew their stuff and could explain how energy moves through a chloroplast in great detail.

# data[].attributes.body
I'm a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community and love creating a safe space for our school community to bring up current issues and identify ways to get involved and raise awareness.  I work closely with other GSA and social justice club advisors advisors in the South Jersey area to find innovative ways to bring youth together in a safe and fun way so that they can be a part of social justice movements.

# data[].attributes.body
I advise my school's middle and high school STEAM clubs and love creating makerspaces where students can learn how to design or engineer things and then get creative!  The simple design this student came up with held over 100lbs before it started to buckle.  This was their first attempt at cardboard construction. The sugar skulls were made as part of our celebration for Dia de los Muertos and some were put on display at the Mexican Consulate in Philly.

# data[].attributes.body
I live in South Jersey with my partner (she's the silly one stretching behind me) and our 2 cats. I'm an avid runner and train in Muay Thai.