I'm a jack of many trades and even a master at some. Well, technically speaking, because I have my Master's in Education.

At age 31, I've lived a few professional lives and have managed to blend them all together to live a harmonious and happy life. It started with a career in Journalism, where I have covered and opined on sports for local New England publications such as the Maine Hockey Journal and the New England Sports Network. I also worked for and interned with the Portland Pirates (formerly the AHL affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres) and the Portland Sea Dogs (Double-A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox).

During the sports journalism days, I had the pleasure of writing for many websites, covering games, designing graphics and building game programs. It was truly awesome. I was also able to accompany players and mascots on trips to local children's hospitals, schools and libraries. These trips helped spark an interest in teaching--a passion that I had to pursue.

So in 2012, I committed full-time to getting my degree to become a teacher. In the years since then, I still write, but I also was able to pursue another passion that blended my love of sport and my love of educating--coaching. I've coached soccer at the high school level for 9 years as well as various other sports along the way (swimming, softball, baseball). In 2017, my wife Shannon and I started our own small soccer business on the side, which included designing a website and starting a blog.

In the classroom, I have been following my passion for teaching students with moderate to severe special needs. From 2014-2019 I managed a Functional Life Skills Program within the Biddeford Public Schools in Maine. Here, I was a member of a team that pioneered some remarkable inclusive experiences for students with special needs. My team and I are tremendously proud of the growth of our students over that five-year span. We championed real-world experiences for the students that included operating a "Coffee Cart", focusing on daily health habits and routines, behavior management as well as providing academic rigor.

This school year, I decided to take on a new educational endeavor. I am now running a co-teaching model where I, as a special educator, teach with a general education teacher within the mainstream classroom. The goal is to provide extra support for my incredibly talented and hardworking classroom teachers while also helping meet the needs of all the students in the classroom, with a focus on establishing modifications and accommodations for the students who require these supports. I teach Math and ELA to 8th graders and case manage 8th graders with various disabilities.

I have found balance with teaching, coaching and writing. I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything.