I am a life-long Nebraskan. I grew up in south-central Nebraska (Gibbon) but since high school I have lived in the eastern part of the state. My hobbies have always included spending time outdoors hunting and fishing, and so following high school I attended UNL to study Fisheries and Wildlife Management. In May of 2000 I earned a Bachelor's of Science in Natural Resources degree. Following college I worked as a scientist for two different consulting companies in Nebraska. My work focused on collecting data and writing reports on special habitats (wetlands, prairies, woodlands) and wildlife populations (threatened, endangered, or species of concern).
In May of 2011 I left my job to enter a master's degree program at UNL designed to prepare professionals with a undergraduate degree and background in science to become secondary science teachers. I finished the program in July of 2012 and earned my teaching certificate and a Master of Arts in Science Teaching degree. The 2012-2013 school year was my first year teaching at Louisville (and my first year overall).
I currently live near Bennet and am married and have two young daughters. I still enjoy going on hunting and fishing trips with my dad and my friends but now one of my favorite things to do is to share my passion for the outdoors with my wife and daughters.