I began to seek out leadership roles like yearbook advisor and mentoring new educators. Outside of education, I became the general manager of a retail store and worked in the admission office of a local college.

These positions helped me develop my leadership skills and allowed me to manage multiple large projects at once, track data, and produce deliverables. I was able to hone my knowledge of adult learning theory and ADDIE, as I trained my staff and worked regularly with adults.

Serving as the yearbook advisor (and being an editor of my college yearbook) bolstered my practice in basic design principles like alignment, contrast, and proximity causing me to appreciate the user experience.

Embracing my creativity, I have loved trying new mediums and challenging myself to new projects. I’ve made multiple quilts, and many stockings for family and friends, even selling my products.

I have learned the power of developing prototypes, collecting feedback, and iterating based on customer (and family) feedback to ensure customer and learner satisfaction.

I used that creativity (and my mad skills in time management) in education by designing eLearning modules and even gaining my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.  Through my studies, I learned how to apply best instructional practices to all of my deliverables.

Through the pandemic, I had to rethink and redesign the way in which I delivered training to my clients, turning years of instruction into eLearning materials.

I was able to see how eLearning was the answer for so many learners. A new discovery I made was how data-tracking, self-paced instruction, prescriptive feedback and chunking information could have a transformative effect for my clients.

I not only found that eLearning was another answer to solving business problems, but I also found that it connected with my clients to help them complete tasks and retain the information.

Just as in cooking, practicing my skills in instructional design helped me gain more confidence.  I delved into processes like action mapping, ADDIE, and SAM, as well as adult learning theories, through courses in IDOL Academy.

I consumed learning and development podcasts, YouTube videos, and initiated informal coffee chats with established instructional designers; I built relationships with coaches and mentors through LinkedIn and IDOL Academy.

I allowed my burning desire to succeed to flourish, as I connected with other IDOL members, leading accountability groups, as we worked together to solve design challenges.

I’ve always been able to quickly and efficiently learn new programs.  I was fearless in learning how to use in-demand tools like Articulate 360 (Rise & Storyline), Vyond, and Camtasia.

My tenacity and drive grew as I finished creating my portfolio, showing off my instructional design skills and talents through multiple assets.

Throughout my life, I have collected the right tools and the right ingredients to cultivate a successful career in instructional design.  I’m fired up to start working for a company that will encourage me to continue to develop and grow.

I am in search of a company that will satiate my hunger for developing high-quality, learner-driven experiences that propel performance results and solve real-world business problems.

I possess a large skill set, I pride myself on meeting deadlines, I love solving business problems quickly, and I am motivated to continue my learning in the instructional design field.

"You can have a recipe for success, but you still have to cook."

Let's cook up something together!