I started my schooling as a Mark Twain Bobcat, moved on to be a Kirkland Jr. Panther and a LWHS Kang. My inspiration as a teacher comes from a tremendous respect for my father’s impact on students and love for teaching. Bob Severson, my dad, is a high school math and physics teacher. He taught for over 30 years at Lake Washington High School. I had the privilege of being a student in his class and seeing firsthand what he loved so much about teaching.  

My joy in teaching comes every single day, in the smiles of children as they realize that they finally understand a concept, or the look of pride they get when they know they’ve done well. It is my number one goal to help each child work towards his or her personal best. My secondary aim each day is to make each child smile at least once.

I have been teaching for nine years, eight of those at Lakeview. Heidi Hasty and I have been teaching second grade together for five years now. Heidi and I feel that as dedicated professionals who are excited about kids and education, this shared position allows us an opportunity to focus our teaching strengths in specific curriculum areas, giving our students the best we have to offer as teachers, while providing for our own families the essential attention that our children need. We are both calm and caring teachers with a quiet nurturing style. We enjoy a structured yet exciting classroom with clear expectations and many successes for our students.

The stage was my first love. Perhaps that is why I love being in front of a classroom full of students. I love to sing and I love stage theater even more. I began performing in plays about when I started to walk. I adore Shakespeare. In high school and college I participated in every play I could get my hands on. Travel is another love of mine. At the age of 16 I spent three summer weeks in France as a nanny. In college my choir traveled to England, Scotland, and Wales. My husband, John, grew up in Paris and we have been back to visit three times. Most recently we took our two boys (ages four and two) to visit their grandparents in Paris.

This year I find myself on the other side of public education: I am now the parent of a kindergartener. My son attends school in Bothell and loves every minute of it. I volunteer in his classroom once a week and marvel as I watch my child become comfortable in a setting so familiar to me. I look forward to watching and guiding his and his brother's journey through elementary school, as well as the journey of each child who is, and has been, a part of my classroom.