I began my journey working with children during my high school years as a swim instructor, which was both a challenging and rewarding experience. Although it took me many years to fully appreciate its significance, that early job truly set the course for my entire life. After earning my degree in History from the University of Oregon, I returned to the beautiful region of Central Oregon to pursue a Master’s degree in Teaching from OSU-Cascades. I spent seven fulfilling years teaching fourth and fifth grades in the Redmond School District, yet after a period of reflection, I felt it was time for a new adventure. A dear friend kindly offered me a position to manage their after-school program, which naturally evolved into my role as a teacher and eventually led to my position as the Director of REACH’s preschool program in Redmond. After some time, Koi and I made the exciting decision to take our extensive experience in childcare and open our very own preschool. There truly is nothing I love more than engaging with the question “Why?” Instead of simply providing answers to the children, I use the question “Why?” as a launching pad for exploration and deeper learning. By embarking on this journey of discovery together, kids learn that anyone can acquire new knowledge, that making mistakes is a part of the process, and that it is perfectly fine to be wrong. Equipping children with the tools they need to answer their own inquiries fosters the development of critical thinking skills. In my limited spare time (which is a humorous notion considering I am both a teacher and a parent), I enjoy activities such as reading, crocheting, and teaching martial arts.