Governance Board

I first became involved in the development of this school in early June of 2017 with the hope of creating a program that would be flexible enough to meet the needs of Ripon families that had open-enrolled their children to virtual academies outside of our district. I am very excited to be a part of the leadership team that will make this wonderful education option available to more families. I am the mother to three boys (ages 7, 5, and 3). My two older boys are currently enrolled in Bridges Virtual Academy and will eventually transition to OAVL. I live in Ripon and am a stay-at-home parent, homeschooling my boys through the Bridges Virtual Academy program. I have been busy with various governance board and charter school training seminars offered through WRCCS over the past few months, attending both virtual and in-person conferences.

My husband Ryan and I live in Ripon and have a 7 and 4-year-old daughters and a new baby boy. I am a stay-at-home parent while also staying involved in our family business, Vines & Rushes Winery. My oldest daughter is currently enrolled through Bridges Virtual Academy in the Merrill School District.  It is an honor to serve on the board and be involved in the development of this new learning option. My hope is that Odyssey Academy will be a good fit for families throughout the state. I look forward to taking my experience as the parent of a student enrolled in a thriving virtual school and bringing that to Odyssey Academy in Ripon.

I have always felt fortunate to live in a community in which the school system demonstrates a commitment to provide opportunities for learning through a variety of formats to meet the needs of students who may thrive outside of the traditional classroom setting. When I became aware that there was a growing need for virtual learning that would help meet the needs of an even greater number of students, I was eager to become involved and help bring this to fruition. I am married and have four children. My daughter is a 2017 graduate of Ripon High School and attends UW-Madison. My two sons are 17 and 16 and attend Ripon High School as a Senior and Junior, respectively. My step-son is also 17 and attends Lumen Charter School as a Senior. I am employed by Agnesian HealthCare and serve as the Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Services at St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac. I have a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in business administration. I have served on a number of governance boards and advisory councils in the Ripon and Green Lake communities including the Ripon Chamber of Commerce and Ripon Area United Way.

I am a Mental Health & Substance Abuse Counselor in Ripon, serving many of our district students and families. I am passionate about well-being and helping the community. I was excited about the opportunity to be a part of this collaborative approach to a virtual academy as I believe it will help reach more families who are looking for alternatives to a traditional school-based program. I am a mother of two elementary age boys so I feel I can understand some of the challenges that are facing our youth. I look forward to continuing the Odyssey journey with an amazing group of educators and board members!