Courtney spent the past 15 years working in public education, including the last eight and a half years as an adult ESL instructor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In this role, she taught in both traditional face-to-face classroom settings and online, as well as in local factories, with a focus on workforce English. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Central Michigan University. She will soon complete a Master of Education in Instruction and Curriculum from Grand Valley State University.