Cheryl began teaching introductory earth science and geology classes at Illinois Central College, East Peoria, Illinois in 1992.  Math and science had always been her favorite subjects in school but like many geologists, Cheryl didn’t enter college planning to study geology. She discovered geology her sophomore year at a community college in California following a recommendation by her father.  He suggested taking a geology class since he knew she enjoyed camping. That one class, with field trips, was all it took to convince her.  She transferred from Santa Barbara City College to the University of Wyoming where she earned her B.S. in Geology and then continued her education at Northern Arizona University earning her M.S. degree in Earth Science. Prior to teaching at community colleges, Cheryl worked for the National Park Service at Grand Canyon National Park and Timpanogos Cave National Monument. Her focus as an NPS ranger and as a community college instructor has been to raise awareness of the importance of science education to the general public. Cheryl believes strongly in the value of experiential learning, especially in general education courses. She has continued the longstanding tradition at Illinois Central College of taking her Midwest students to the Southwest and Rocky Mountain regions on 18-day field courses to learn basic geology principles. In her free time, she enjoys reading, weightlifting, and activities with her husband and friends.