For as long as I can remember I have always loved to have fun, laugh and spread joy, which seemed to be my gift along with the love for children. I have always had a curious nature and wanted to experience as much as I could. I really love knowing about and trying many different things so my life has been very creative and colorful. I compare it to a canvas and I am the artist and am making it just as rich, exciting and beautiful as I possibly can. Mine is a Rembrandt!

As a small child I asked Jesus into my life and have walked with him every since and he is my very best friend and I love him with all of my heart. I have been in every church over the years, so I am a mixture of many denominations. My relationship with God day to day is what is so important to me, although, the influence of the church messages, other Christians, hymns and the scriptures has certainly made me the person I am today. I love to read and have read many positive thinking books to keep me focused to stay positive in life. Some of my favorites authors are Dr. Robert Schuler, Norman Vincent Peal, John Maxwell, Charles Stanley and one of my favorite books is Hinds Feet in High Places.

After graduating from Marion Harding High School, I attended OSU and began working as a nurse's aide and then went off to Circleville Bible College where I stayed 4 years and graduated with a BA in sacred literature. I went to Mexico as a missionary for a short term to work in an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. When I returned home, I went to work at Marion General Hospital and attended Marion Technical College and graduated in 1979 as an RN. I have worked in many different areas over the past 25 years which include Pediatrics, OB/GYN, MED/SURG, ER, Urgent Care, School nurse, Recreation Unlimited Camp nurse with MRDD children, Children's hospital, OSU Family Practice, Bar iatric care center Employee Health and now I am working at Heritage Day Health Center which is an adult day care. I love every area of nursing and have wonderful memories with fellow co-workers and my patients I have cared for over the years.

I married my husband Mike at age 36 and raised a stepson Mikey from 13 –19 who is a precious boy and is now married and a supervisor for Version in Marion and he has a 4 year old daughter Syndey. We had an exchange student from Bogotá, Colombia live with us for a year also which was a fun experience. I divorced Mike 1989 and have been a single girl since.

I moved to Columbus in 1996 and attended Columbus Community College to update my skills and also attended Ohio Dominican College majoring in teaching Esl. When I moved here I volunteered at the Columbus Literacy Council through Amercorp Vista teaching ESL (English as a second language) and was over the Family Literacy program and also the summer reading camps for the children which was a marvelous experience for me.

I have volunteered at the Davis Discovery Center, Blacklick Metro Park, Homeless shelters, Bethlehem on Broad Street at Christmas for 8 years, International Festival, Empty Bowl and for the past 8 years I have volunteered at the International neighborhood Coffee Hour at the University Baptist Church teaching young mothers and their small children ESL and this is one of the loves of my life. I have had students from almost every country whose husbands were at OSU studying for their PhDs. I have done many things in my life but this is the thing I have enjoyed the most.

I also was a professional clown for 10 years and my name is Happy Heart R.N. after the scripture “ A merry heart does like a medicine”. I had a large white and pink Rabbit named Tickles that was my partner and who is now in the orphanages in Romania spreading the love of God. I belong to the Fellowship of Christian magicians and have taken classes all over. I know many wonderful clowns, chalk artist, ventriloquists, magicians, and Sunday school teachers, children church workers who are spreading the love of God around the world. I have performed in Church programs, kid's birthday parties, parades, balloon deliveries and special occasions. In my program I used puppets, ventriloquism, gospel magic, sign language, drama, and skits and ended with a chalk art drawing.

I have done tole painting, all kinds of crafts, written poetry, played the dulcimer and piano. I love to dance 50/60, speak Spanish and love the Mexican people. I have belonged to the Storytellers of central Ohio and the Fellowship of Christian magicians. I have been a Brownie leader, camp counselor and Sunday school teacher. I am currently taking dancing lessons at the Fred Astrair Dance Studio and doing water aerobics 2 times a week.

My favorite place to go to is Put-In – Bay. I just love to take the boat over to the island, drive around on the golf carts, eat chicken in the park and just relax by the water with a good glass of wine.

I love to travel and hope to do much more in my future years and would love to go to many of the countries my students are from and also take a trip with the Elderhostel to Martha Vineyard and Nantucket is one of my long term goals.

I will now end this biography with my favorite quotation: You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give and my favorite scripture: You will show me the path of life, O God, in your presence is the fullness of Joy and at your right hand are pleasures forever more!