Diane Leifer is a teacher of International Baccalaureate French for 6th through 8th graders at Ogden and Lincoln School. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Education from the University of Wisconsin. She received her teaching certificate in French after completing post-graduate studies at the University of Illinois and is currently pursuing a master's degree in applied linguistics at Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Leifer coached students to the overall grand award in the Citywide Industrial Arts and Home Economic Competition for three consecutive years. She coordinated the Illinois Restaurant Associations foodservice School-to-Work Internship Program at Orr High School where she also sponsored a school-based catering enterprise. She was a featured presenter at the 1996 National Entrepreneurship Education Conference. She is a classically trained chef; she has run a catering business ant taught culinary arts. In addition, she enjoys gardening, art music, canoeing, hiking and bird watching.