I have been immersed in a rich tapestry of cultures my entire life. My mother's heritage from Northern Mexico and my father's St. Louis and New York City roots provided a culturally diverse upbringing that enabled me to learn about the world while viewing it from multiple perspectives. As a child, I attended schools in El Paso, TX; St. Louis, MO; New Haven, CT (Branford); and San Jose, CA. Growing up in a bilingual home and living in vastly different urban centers was vital in shaping my worldview and instilling in me a deep respect and appreciation for diversity and people from all walks of life. [Diversity statement]

My Passion for Languages

During my undergraduate years, I immersed myself in Spanish and Latin-American cultures and began to deeply explore my Hispanic roots. I embraced Spanish and Portuguese as second and third languages and also studied French and Russian. I sought to connect my love of music, technology, and multimedia to my passion for learning languages.

My Academic Journey

My academic journey followed a non-traditional path. The road less traveled allowed me to complete four graduate degrees in Spanish, ESL, educational technology, teaching, and instructional leadership.

Career Goals - Next Steps

I seek a position that will allow me to use my agency to inspire and motivate students to adopt a second language and culture and find ways to enhance their lives and careers in multilingual settings. My mission is to foster vibrant and inclusive learning communities where diversity is celebrated, multicultural perspectives are valued, and everyone feels a sense of belonging and respect.

I want to inspire teachers and students of world languages and ESL to be successful in their quest for L2 mastery and find purpose, fulfillment, and joy in their language learning experience.