Tara was born and raised in central Oregon--playing in the high desert, riding horses, camping and fishing with her family, clogging, and doing umpteen 4-H projects. She graduated from Dartmouth College where she majored in Anthropology, Education and Human Development. After college, she worked as a school-based skills trainer and youth case manager for the community mental health clinic in Homer, Alaska. She was inspired by the resilient youth and incredible mental health teams she worked alongside. Tara received her Master of Social Work from the University of Washington and worked as a primary care pediatric social worker at UW Medicine for 13+ years before obtaining an ESA certificate in School Social Work and transitioning to work in the school setting. Prior to joining the Methow Valley School District, she worked as an Educational Advocate based at Omak MIddle School, providing Tier 3 progress monitoring, case management, and social-emotional skill building to students. Tara lives in Twisp with her husband, young daughter, and their unruly dog. She enjoys gardening, sharing food, traveling, percussive dancing, bluegrass music, hiking, cross-country skiing and new kinds of adventures with a kid in the mix. She looks forward to collaborating with students and families and earning the trust and respect of the community over time.