My name is Heather, and I am returning to St. Paul after living in Los Angeles and then Iowa for the last several years. I was born and raised in a small town in Iowa, where I never quite fit in, but I had a mom who nurtured and guided me to a place of self love and self acceptance. Through her I was exposed to art, music, creation, and most of all compassion. She would often babysit children in our home and was active in children and youth work in our community, and I just naturally fell into working with children. I started babysitting around the age of twelve and went on to lead children and youth groups in our church and community. My main passions are writing and acting which fit extremely well with child enrichment. I love guiding young lives as they learn to explore the world around them and discover who they are. Their openness and curiosity are an inspiration, and I believe as adults, we learn from them just as much as we teach and guide them. My journey in Early Childhood Education has been so rewarding. I have had the privilege of working with children ages infants through school age in a wide range of settings. I am especially connected to non profit organizations and working with marginalized communities such as LQBTQIA youth using art, music nature, performance, and storytelling. I obtained my BA in Theater and Philosophy from a small private college in North Dakota in 2002. You may not have seen me in various films, tv shows, music videos, plays, improv performances, and sketch comedies. I am currently working on creative writing and immersing myself in storytelling. I live in a beautiful, artists’ loft with my fiancé, Mari and our two fur children, Mona (dog) and Jolie (cat). In my free time I like to go on adventures with Mari and our pets, read, binge tv series, thrift shop, visit record stores, road trip, and take in as much music as possible. I am looking forward to being a part of the SPCC community and learning and growing alongside the children and the wonderful staff.