• English Teacher, Yearbook Adviser, Play Production & Speech Coach
• NCTE High School Teacher of Excellence 2019-2020​
• NeWP involvement since 2010​
• National Parks Cooperative Instructor​

Before the Nebraska Writing Project, Brenda was unsure how long she could continue in her field, saying, "I was burnt out. I didn't have the motivation to grade any more papers or do the work required of an English teacher. When I attended my first NeWP Institute, I was able to network with other professionals and see what they were doing in their classrooms. They gave me the confidence to entirely change my own teaching philosophy, from sitting down with students to write with them or assigning low stakes writing tasks. I left refreshed and ready to continue teaching." When asked how the NeWP changed her mindset, she replied, "I let go of the idea of 'being perfect' for my students, and they noticed that change. The ability to show our real selves helps us connect with each other. Society has deemed perfectionism as the ultimate goal everywhere, not just in the classroom, but that's unrealistic. If we as teachers can show vulnerability and model our own thought process revealing that we don't have the perfect idea right away, then our students, will be more willing to share themselves, make mistakes, and try again. Writing needs to be something we learn together; the more I share with them, the more they see that there's no such thing as a perfect writer."​