Who I Am

About Me

I was born and raised in Traverse City, Michigan, where my love for the arts and creativity took root early. I spent my younger years doing local theater before heading to Northwestern Michigan College, and later Western Michigan University, where I earned my degree in TV, Film, and Theatrical Production.

After college, I moved to Chicago to chase filmmaking and improvisation. I shot films, performed, and learned a lot—mostly that passion doesn’t always pay the bills. That detour led me to an unexpected (but formative) chapter as a selling manager at The North Face, where I became a professional outfitter. That role took me to Seattle, where I ran a store, fell hard for backpacking, climbing, and camping, and discovered something important: my favorite part of the job wasn’t selling gear, it was teaching people how it worked. I loved breaking down the technology, the design, and the “why” behind the product.

Seattle was a little too fun, so I eventually made my way back home to Traverse City and shifted my focus to education. I earned my teaching degree from Central Michigan University through the University Center, and landed my first teaching job as a middle school science teacher at Greenspire, a project- and place-based school. My classroom was the woods. We explored physics, ecology, and everything nature could teach us about science through hands-on experience.

During that time, I met my wife, Abby. We got married, bought our first home, and continued building a life rooted in curiosity and community.

I later moved to Glen Lake Public Schools, where I now teach as an elementary teacher. My class is called Explorers—a nature-based role that blends play, plant identification, holistic tracking, sit spots, and a deep love of the outdoors. I work with students from Young 5s through 5th grade, collaborating with classroom teachers to supplement their standards through outdoor, experiential learning.

At the heart of everything I do—whether it’s outfitting, or teaching—is the same goal: helping people learn through experience, curiosity, and connection.