My name is Michelle Tolson.  I was born in Peoria, IL and have lived there ever since.  I have two siblings.  My brother, Aaron, is 20 years old and is currently studying Business Management at Illinois Central College and plans to transfer to Illinois State University next fall.  My sister, Brooke, is 14 years old and is finishing her freshman year at Peoria Christian High School.  Brooke is also the maid of honor in my wedding this July.  I will be married to Andrew Tiemeier, a graduate of the University of Iowa and accountant at Caterpillar, Inc. in Joliet, IL.

I graduated from Peoria Christian High School in 2004.  I was involved in many different activities, but the most memorable were choir and a French cultural exchange.  I went on to study Elementary Education at Illinois Central College.  In 2006, I entered the College of Education at Illinois State University and will graduate in May 2008.  While at Illinois State, I participated in a Professional Development School.  PDS is a year-long program in which I spent over 300 hours in a classroom before beginning student teaching.  This experience has made me more prepared than ever to enter the profession world of teaching.