I am a Speech-Language Pathologist and literacy specialist with over a decade of experience supporting struggling readers. My training through the Orton-Gillingham Academy (OGA) has been central to my work. I first completed the OGA Educator Level course, then went on to earn my Associate Level designation, which required 60 hours of coursework and 100 supervised practicum hours. I am now pursuing the Certified Level, which includes 200 additional supervised practicum hours. I also spent three years working in a language-based learning disabilities program, which strengthened my commitment to structured literacy and the science of reading.

 

I grew up in Colorado after moving here at the age of five. As an only child, I stayed close to home for college, studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences at the University of Colorado. During that time, I played club volleyball, conducted bilingual research, and worked in the campus dining hall.

 

In 2011, I moved to Boston to join my husband and attend graduate school at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, where I first discovered that SLPs can assess and treat reading. After a short period specializing in voice disorders, I transitioned into a middle school on Boston’s North Shore. My work included Orton-Gillingham tutorials, co-teaching language-based ELA classes, and immersing myself in young adult fiction alongside my students. Outside of work, I trained for races—including the Boston Marathon—enjoyed weekends at Crane Beach, and explored Boston’s food scene.

 

After five and a half years in Boston, my husband and I returned to Colorado. Shortly after welcoming our first daughter, I launched a private practice specializing in reading disorders and completed my OGA Associate practicum. Today, I serve as Chief Operating Officer at Bjorem Speech Publications, where I help develop resources that support literacy and language instruction.

 

When I’m not working, I’m at home in Colorado with my husband and our three children. I love cheering on the Denver Nuggets & Broncos, running, gardening, and reading.