Background
At An Early Age…
Kari was born in Bellingham, WA, where she lived, until she was 10 years old. During these years, her days were spent playing outside, enjoying nature or in our basement playing schoolhouse with her brother and sister. While playing school she was either pretending to be a teacher, writing on the green chalkboard easel her dad had made for them or the student, sitting at one of their “old schoolhouse desks” as a student. This was the birth of her soon to be passion, to become a teacher.
What Made The Passion Real…
Growing up, learning to read didn’t come easy for Kari. As a teacher now, she knows, if you struggle in reading, you struggle in all subjects. With parents that did everything they could to help with her reading skills, many tutors, resource programs and extra help from her teachers. It didn’t seem to get any easier for her as the years went on. She would say, one of her strongest drives and desires in becoming a teacher was born from her own struggle learning to read while growing up, along with her love for children. Kari knew what it was to struggle in her education and for that reason, she wanted to be a positive influence in helping young people in their educational journey.
When The Dream Became a Reality…
Kari graduated from Biola University in 1998, with a degree in Christian Education. At this time, she moved back to Palm Desert, Ca where she pursued her multiple subject teaching credential at Cal State, San Bernardino. While pursuing her credential, there was a shortage of teachers, so she was hired as a Kindergarten teacher, on emergency credential, in Desert Sands Unified School District. While pursuing her education and teaching full time, life took another turn. Kari met and soon after married the other love of her life, Dave Sutherland, a full time single father.
Embracing her new role as a stay at home mom raising two children, Kari put her career on hold. At this time, it was important for her to play an active role in assuring her children’s quality of education. Not only was she President of the Parents Association at the private school her children attended for four years, in 2010 she began homeschooling her daughter during her final two years of high school.
The Dream is Alive…
Kari’s children are now grown and living on their own. This prompted her to go back to school to complete her Multiple Subject teaching credential and be back in the classroom. While going to school, she was hired as a reading intervention specialist at a local elementary school. This opportunity opened her mind to the “how” in giving those struggling students the best roadmap to success in learning to read. The love for teaching was reignited and her path was set!
As of 2018, Kari is a California credentialed teacher, teaching 1st grade at Dr. Carreon Academy, in Indio, Ca.