Where do you live, and how long have you been there?
I have been living in the US since 1987. I spent a few short months in Hawaii (Pearl City), six years in Southern California (Rialto), 23 years in Arizona (Lake Havasu), and the last nine years in Nevada (Las Vegas).
What are your family links with Mercury Bay? Where did you grow up?
I was born in Whitianga in 1963. My mum was also born there, before me.
Which school did you attend?
The Mercury Bay Area school was in its early stages when I left high school.
What have you been doing since school?
I spent a number of years as a bookkeeper for construction companies, one of them belonging to Mike and me. It gave me the ability to be a stay-at-home mum, and I am eternally grateful for that time with my children. I went back to school after my daughter was born and graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education in 2005. I worked as an Elementary Teacher while getting my Master’s degree in Special Education in 2013. I was given the opportunity to teach Special Education for two years while finishing my degree. I moved to Las Vegas and taught Elementary Resource at a low income school and then had the opportunity to become a Special Education Instructional Facilitator, a position I have had for six years, the last four at a Magnet Middle School.
What would be the achievement you are most proud of?
Raising three amazing humans has to be my greatest accomplishment, but I am also very proud of the lives I have had the ability to impact as a Special Education professional.
Have you been back to Whitianga recently? What were your impressions?
I have not been home since 2018. I’m always impressed by the growth of the town, but it still has a small town feel and will always be my home.
What were your fondest memories of Mercury Bay?
Spending every day at the beach growing up would be the memories that warm my heart the most. The family picnics we went on during the holidays and spending time with aunties, uncles and cousins were among the best.
Who were some of your friends in those early years?
My very best friend would have been my cousin Megan Fussey. Our mums spent so much time together and we always had a blast. Deb Toia (Harkins) and Katrina Hill (Moyle) were my best friends in school and beyond.
Any other information that may be relevant?
All three of my children were born in the US, but they are all proud of their NZ heritage. We had amazing times together when they were young, lots of trips to different US locations and to NZ as often as possible. We spent a lot of time camping in the desert and I was able to fall in love with a totally different landscape than the one I grew up in. My children make me proud on a daily basis and I am blessed to be their mum.
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