Art has always captured my greatest interest, even at a very young age. I was raised and grew up in Germany. Since the age of 13, I wanted to study art. I finally could make this wish come true after moving to Sterling and when the Northern Virginia Community College was started. I had the most excellent teachers. I not only took the basic requirements, but also all the commercial art classes, and many extra drawing, printing, and painting classes. I graduated with Magna Cum Laude in 1981.

When I was living in Germany, I had always very good art instruction as part of my education. I have a degree in Germany for early Child Care and part of that curriculum was also art education. Then, I studied Medical Technology, but that was abandoned, because I met my husband and I arrived as a young bride in 1964 in the United States.

My work experiences are varied: I have worked in the University Library in Rochester, N.Y. I have been a stay- at- home mother of three children. I have had a babysitting business and I have been in direct sales. I was a substitute teacher in all school levels in the Loudoun County School System and in a large variety of subjects. I speak some French and Spanish, besides my native German, and taught these languages as well.