She received her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Purdue University in 2001 and became a school teacher at Hamilton Southeastern Schools in Fishers, IN soon after. After several years, she enrolled as a graduate student at Ball State University, completing a master's in elementary education and reading and a Ph.D. in elementary education, technology, reading, and research. From 2011 until 2012, she was an Assistant Professor at Ball State, when she joined Indiana University's faculty in her current role.