Fairfield, Iowa | Pandemic 2020

The pandemic has hit each of us differently. It brought an end to dancing in person. The loss of dance classes and socials was a huge hit for my well being. Dance has been my soul food for many years, and it will return one day…

Dance aside, this year has brought with it a number of milestones.

In August, I completed the Master’s in Software Development program that I started in the fall of 2019.

In October, I came out publicly. Pulling from my National Coming Out Day post, “Through its challenges, it’s also been a year of growth, of embracing my sexuality, gaining confidence in my self expression, and finally understanding pride, living proud. Bisexual is the label I’m most comfortable wearing. Although, some days I’ll say gay, or lesbian, or pan (as in pansexual), even poly.”

Most recently, I landed my dream job working for Google, starting remotely in December and relocating to Cambridge, MA once offices reopen.

This Fairfield chapter isn’t over yet, but I know it’s just around the corner as I make plans to move out east in the year to come.

Fairfield, Iowa | Fall 2019 - Spring 2020

It seems as much as I try to dive into dance, I can’t let go of my STEM background and my love of programming. This year the scales tip away from dance and in the direction of STEM. The 2019-2020 school year will be a busy year for me as I pursue a Master’s Degree in Software Development at Maharishi University of Management, while simultaneously teaching math, computer science, and computer programming at the Maharishi High School.

Of course, I won’t let go of dance that easily. Expect to see regular dance classes in the styles of Salsa, Bachata, and maybe even Brazilian Zouk. Follow Blitz Studio for dance class updates.

Fairfield, Iowa | Summer 2019

I returned to Fairfield to close out the school year in person, teaching the last day of class physically in the classroom. I accompanied the 9th graders on their end of year canoe trip, enjoying nature and the opportunity to get to know my students and fellow faculty better in an out-of-classroom environment. After four days on the river (and road), I attended a two-day continuing education course on Complete Mental Health for students, a topic of particular interest to me. Never far from a classroom, I digitally attended courses in The Science of Happiness and programming with AngularJS. I passed the remainder of the summer teaching weekly dance classes and getting ready to teach more. I discussed with future employers and education institutions as I applied to school and work opportunities for the 2019-2020 school year. Oh, and I played lots of backgammon with my mom.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico | Fall 2018 - Spring 2019

It has been a life-long goal of mine to learn Spanish and I always imagined doing so through immersion. When I chose to take a gap year of sorts, I wanted to have time without major commitments where I could explore my own interests. Gabe and I moved to Mexico in September of 2019 and within hours of arriving in Puerto Vallarta, I was offered/asked to substitute a computer class for three weeks while a local prep school searched for a full-time replacement. I accepted to help out in the position, working full time for 3 weeks. Despite my desire for time off, I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to work and establish myself on a routine while getting accustomed to a new place. Fortunately, the class was to be taught in English and I had some previously developed lesson plans at my disposal online. Those first few weeks flew by. As the days passed, I joined a gym. I traveled Mexico and went on multiple trips back to the US with Gabe. My 2018-2019 gap year accomplished my spanish learning goal. I filled my time with Duolingo Spanish lessons, dance classes, workout challenges, online programming courses, researching graduate programs, weekly trips to the movie theater, reading, and finding and enjoying great restaurants. Even after moving to Mexico, I took on teaching the 9th grade computer science class one more time with Maharishi School, but this time still in Mexico. Through video conferencing, screen sharing, and a very well-behaved class, I was able to teach my computer science curriculum remotely from Vallarta, calling in each day online.

Fairfield, Iowa | Fall 2016 - Summer 2018 

Dancing brought me back to Fairfield in 2016 and teaching at Maharishi School kept me around. When my ballroom dance partner Dillon Hanson and I moved to town, we started having 4-hr daily practices each afternoon. We traveled for competitions and were committed to elevating our dance skills for the better part of that school year. In the mornings, we would teach. The 2016-2017 school year was my first year in a middle school classroom since I myself was in middle school. I caught the teaching bug quickly. At Maharishi School, I taught 7th and 8th grade mathematics, 9th grade computer science, a few programming projects with high schoolers, and middle school dance, basketball, and fitness with the middle school PE program. In the summer of 2017 I took a dance instructor teacher training course. I continued teaching weekly Salsa and Bachata classes the next fall, and then went on to brand myself as a dance instructor, creating Blitz Studio. As summer 2018 rolled in, I was ready to say goodbye to the town, the school, and experience something new.

Madison, WI | Fall 2014 - Summer 2016

After graduating college and taking a summer for travel and moving, I relocated to Madison, WI for a software development job at Epic Systems Corporation (a company that makes software for hospitals or Electronic Medical Records). I immersed myself in the ballroom dance scene at UW-Madison’s Badger Ballroom Dance Team (BBDT). I met Dillon at BBDT. We found out we both worked for the same company, became close friends and dance partners. Dillon and I competed regularly, practiced and taught together, and quickly advanced our skills on the dance floor.