Mrs. Bleecker has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Washington State University (Go Cougs!) Masters in Teaching from Gonzaga University

After careers as a newspaper reporter and Superior Court clerk, I began my teaching career in Aberdeen in 1996, followed by nearly 15 years in Blaine, just north of Bellingham on the US/Canadian border. Most of my teaching experience has been at the secondary level with an emphasis in AP English Language and American Literature. But after teaching the last five years abroad in Cameroon, Africa and in Seoul, South Korea, I welcomed the opportunity to come back and teach the malleable minds of middle schoolers in the Pacific Northwest. I am happy to be a South Bend Indian and am learning a lot from my junior high students. There's a lot to be said for the value of teamwork and camaraderie outside the classroom, too, so I am thrilled to be coaching Jr. High volleyball.

Some of my favorite things to do (besides teaching) include sports, traveling, hiking, camping, reading, listening, and interacting with others in books, the safest and cheapest way to "go places."