I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and I have deep roots in the St. Louis area. After graduating from high school, I attended Truman State University, where I earned a B.A. in History with a focus on education. I then pursued graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—go Tar Heels!—earning a doctorate degree in History.

Following graduate school, I returned to Missouri and began teaching social studies. Since 2...