Michaela grew up in a small town in the remote desert of Far West Texas. She knew she wanted to work with individuals with special needs her first year as a volunteer camp counselor for children with Muscular Dystrophy when she was 16 years old.
After graduating high school, she joined AmeriCorps NCCC where she traveled around the US doing various volunteer projects. Michaela spent 10 months helping at different non-profits, including Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Baton Rouge, The Grey Hut – Pass Christian, MS, and Biloxi Boys and Girls Club.
Michaela attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education. In college, she was a member of Best Buddies, working with adults with special needs in the Austin community. She spent her summers teaching children how to build robots and model rockets at science camp.
Michaela has several years of hands-on experience teaching students in grades K-5 in a self-contained special education classroom. She enjoys hands-on science experiments, cooking in the classroom, and anything rainbow/shiny.
The intention behind Especially Education is to provide teachers with adapted teaching materials that focus on the prerequisite skills needed to master grade-level standards and provide engaging, hands-on activities that make learning exciting and appropriate.