Biography

As a native of Washington state, I came to Menlo eager to experience the Bay culture and year-round sun! My route to education has been anything but traditional. Growing up one of seven kids in a Mexican American household in the 1980s, my family was one of a few in our tiny hometown. I grew up fighting the stereotypes of my two cultures but never feeling like I fit in either. This struggle sparked my journey to teaching.

After graduating high school, I fled to Bellingham, WA, and obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Western Washington University, where I tutored Spanish and fell in love with sharing my culture and language. Upon receiving my Bachelor’s degree I took a two-year hiatus before returning to my studies. At the University of Washington I taught Spanish and was model TA while earning my Master’s degree in Hispanic Studies. I taught high school and college Spanish for four years before leaving the classroom to raise my kids. During this time I worked part time as a paraprofessional in various elementary schools focusing on language acquisition and reading fluency. I passionately spent the last four years establishing a Spanish program at Cascade High School in Leavenworth, WA, where I taught all levels of Spanish, introduced College in the High School, and created a Spanish class for heritage speakers.

When I am not focused on teaching, I am hanging out with my two favorite people, my kids Talia and Taj. Together we hike, camp, and spoil our 8-year-old pup, Rosie Posie. I also love feeding my creativity through party planning, cooking, baking, and gardening.