Beth Nelson is a paraprofessional. Born in Des Moines, she went to Hillsboro High School and Oregon State University. She says that her job is “like going back to high school,” and as she helps students, she learns as much as they do. She left retail management when she became a mother, and joined Portland Public Schools in 2015 at Rieke Elementary. She moved to Ida B. Wells in 2020. She lives with her two daughters, her husband, and her two dogs and two cats. She enjoys traveling and growing flowers such as zinnias, sunflowers and marigolds.

Written by Giuseppe Lipari, Intro to Communications, Fall 2022