Petra was born and raised in Giessen, Germany, a town south of Frankfurt am Main. In 2005 Petra and her husband moved to Michigan for Graduate School, where she earned a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences.

Petra pursued a career in Academica that would allow her to follow her passions for science and teaching. With the arrival of her first child, she became a stay-at-home mom. Petra regards these years with her two children the most important in her life. During this time her personal and professional goals shifted towards child development and education.

Petra is now a certified Montessori Teacher. She is currently teaching Science at DuPage Montessori school working with children from K through 8th Grade.

At GLSN, Petra creates a learning environment that addresses the whole child while immersing them in her native tongue. She believes that sharing cultural and social experiences as well as rhymes and songs are as important as academic work.