Started at SHS 2014

Currently teaching: Spanish 1 & 2

SHS Teacher of the Year 2023-24

Teaching since 2004

Previous Positions: River Oaks (4-5^th grade ELA), PVA-Bastrop (8-12th English, Spanish 1-2), Madison James Foster (1^st grade), Neville High School (9-12th Spanish 2, DE) 

Led student trip to Spain w/Neville (2011)

Co-Sponsor of the SHS Spanish Scholars

I am married to Damon McLeland-my very understanding and supportive husband of 22 years who graduated from SHS. My husband is very tech savvy. He is always buying me a new gadget that makes my life easier.  He is also our designated summer trip planner and driver. (He has driven us thousands of miles to give the kids and me some of the most memorable experiences.  I will always treasure him for that.)  We have two kids: my son, Jacob-who is a very hardworking, compassionate ULM graduate and my very tough, witty daughter, Brynn-who is a senior Biology major at LA Tech. We have 2 dogs-Murphy and Isobel who make us laugh and who greet us at the door everyday. Sadly, our dog-Max-passed away in 2019. He would follow me around the house room to room, the awesome protector that he was. We still feel like our “Ham Dog” is with us.    

When I’m not grading papers or working on lesson plans, I enjoy watching movies and t.v. shows with my family. Some of my favorite shows are The Mandalorian, Halo, and The Bear. I love reading books and graphic novels too. Some of my favorite authors are Linda Nichols, Judy Blume, and Dean Koontz. I also love traveling every summer with my family. So far, we have been to 45 states. One of my favorite places we have been to is the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. It is so cool and educational! It has everything you can imagine from Rosa Parks’ bus to the rocking chair in which Abraham Lincoln sat when assassinated. (Put it on your bucket list!) Things that I wish I could do better are: cook, exercise on a regular basis, and wear heels. (Lincoln’s Bloodstained Chair)