My name is Tara Oyler and I am from East Peoria, Illinois, a closeknit community in central Illinois. In 2004, I graduated third in my class from East Peoria Community High School.  That fall, I went to Illinois State University where I embarked on my journey toward becoming an educator. 

Once at ISU, I began taking many courses to prepare me for my teaching career.  Over the course of three years, I attended classes on campus which provided me with the knowledge base I would need for the educational profession. 

While still in college, I married, bought a house, and began raising my wonderful puppy.

For my senior year, I served as an intern in Pekin District 108 as a part of Illinois State's Professional Development School at Pekin.  This immersed me in the school culture for an entire year, including my student teaching experience in a 6th grade classroom at Washington Intermediate School.  I also had experiences in a 7th and 8th grade language arts classroom at Broadmoor Junior High School and a 1st grade classroom at Willow Primary School.

I graduated from ISU with a 4.0 grade point average and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.