Mrs. Nelson, an educator since last century, firmly believes that teaching is both a vocation and a privilege. Her Catholic upbringing and love of Christ inspire her to give her very best to others and lead them to God. She received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a Distinction in English from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois. She graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors and received the Distinguished Senior Award, an award bestowed on only one senior in the graduating class. She continued her education at the University of Phoenix, earning her master’s degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction with Summa Cum Laude honors. She is an Illinois certified (PEL) teacher with ESL accreditation. In addition, she is a Level 1 Teacher in Spiritual, Theological, and Ministerial Formation through the Archdiocese of Chicago. Mrs. Nelson has taught all grade levels Pre-K through 8 in private, archdiocesan, and public schools. Incorporating hands-on projects, guiding STEM collaborations, and cooking are some of the activities Mrs. Nelson delights in doing with her students. In addition to teaching, she has presented at the Annual Illinois Reading Council (IRC) Conference, chaired annual fundraisers for not-for-profits, and directed a summer school program. She has been a mentor for other teachers, including teachers-in-training from Spain. She has written school-wide curriculum, exit goals, and policies/procedures for multiple schools and wrote mathematics questions for standardized tests for the states of Maryland and Georgia. An active volunteer, she divides her free time between multiple organizations. She is a certified mental health first aider and is drawn to helping those in need. She is the mother of four children and loves to take family trips to national and state parks, her favorite being Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. She and her family are parishioners of Saint John Cantius in Chicago and live in Rolling Meadows with their energetic Entlebucher mountain dog Oliver Jones.
