About Mrs. Hilborn

I am so very excited to be teaching Kindergarten this year at Wildfire Elementary School!  I remember my own Kindergarten teacher- Mrs. Jacobson. I absolutely loved her. She instilled in me a great love for reading and learning. It is my goal to make this year a year of growth and excitement for your child just as Mrs. Jacobson did for me. We are going to have so much fun! Kindergarten is the place to be!


Education and Experience:
I graduated from Arizona State University in 2002 with a BA in Early Childhood Education. Upon graduating, I accepted a position as a private teacher for the son of nationally syndicated radio host, Kim Komando. Through this experience I learned a great deal about early childhood development and best practices for early learners.
I then taught at Ward Traditional Academy in Tempe. This was such a valuable experience as I took part in opening the school. I was able to participate in many meetings and committees that addressed developing mission statements, school rules and handbook information, and curriculum adaptation. I was one of two first grade teachers at Ward Traditional Academy for 3 years.
I continued my career in the Paradise Valley School District at Wildfire Elementary School for 3 years. I had wonderful mentors and colleagues at Wildfire and learned so much about being an exceptional teacher!
In May of 2012 I decided to take a leave of absence to focus on my other love-running.  I worked hard and met my goal of being named to the Latvian Olympic Marathon Team at the 2016 summer games in Rio de Janiero. It was truly a dream come true!

Upon returning back to Arizona in October of 2016 after 4 years of traveling and training across the country, I knew I wanted to get right back to teaching. I missed it so much! I returned to teaching in the Paradise Valley School District at Echo Mountain Primary for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year. The following year I found my teacher calling in the Kindergarten classroom! I taught Kinder at Sonoran Sky Elementary and loved every minute of it. In June of 2018 I had my son, Nils, and decided to stay home with him for a few years. I am so excited to be back at Wildfire!

Family and Hobbies: 
I have been married to my husband Matt for 11 years. We have a two-year-old son, Nils!
 We also have one Labrador Retriever named Gussie. She loves everyone and everything with great exuberance. I love to run, camp, hike, cook, and read. But most of all, I love to teach! We are going to have an amazing year in Kindergarten!