As a small-town Alaska girl, Karla learned a love of education and helping people at a young age.  When she was seven, her mother received a teaching position in the rural town of Valdez, and from here Kayla began her life in this great state.  With a mother as a teacher, Kayla has always had an open mind for education and leadership; in high school, she received medals for her participation in the Business Professionals of America competition and became a national competitor.  She also volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and many other local organizations.

Kayla's experiences in high school brought her into college at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  After spending two years with the UA system, Kayla met her husband Paul (who is a high school science teacher).  She switched to Western Governors University to fast-track her education degree and to enrich herself in the self-paced experience that WGU had to offer.  While studying for her degree, Kayla worked with a dyslexia clinic in Anchorage, AK.  Here, she refined her skills working with high-needs students and developed a strong love of working with these individuals.  

Kayla's student teaching was another excellent learning experience.  She wanted to return to her hometown for this adventure, working in a 1st grade general classroom and a high-school Special Education resource room.  Kayla tells that both of these experiences were very enriching.  She learned how to focus on a large group of students at once, rather than working with individuals--which was her only experience thus far.  She refined her group-teaching skills and learned that the #1 job of a good SPED teacher is to problem solve.  It is impossible to predict any child's behavior, and this is especially true for a child with special needs.  With an always-open mind and lots of time spent researching, Kayla found that a methodical approach to any student's needs was very rewarding.

Kayla and her husband Paul currently live in Wasilla, AK with their baby boy Arthur.