My name is Denise Young and this is my fifth year here at Northwood Hills Elementary.   There is nothing more fulfilling to me than seeing the smiling faces of my students every morning as they come into my classroom.  Kindergarten is especially exciting because the kids are new to school and so excited to be here learning and growing.

While I was born in Arlington, Texas, I grew up with a father in the military and was constantly moving around the United States with my family.  I have lived in California, Arizona, Indiana, and was lucky enough to spend 5 years in Hawaii.  I moved back to Texas when my father retired and attended junior high and high school in Arlington.  I graduated from John Brown University (small private school in Arkansas) with a degree in English Literature and after graduation worked at The University of Texas at Arlington counseling academically struggling students.  While I enjoyed working with college students, my passion for education lies in the fundamentals of learning to read and write.  There is absolutely no better place to start a love of learning than at the beginning (kindergarten)!

When I am not at school I am usually at home reading a good book (the longer the better!), walking my rather large dog Nolan, or up in Celina, TX riding horses. 

Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire.  ~William Butler Yeats