My interest in education has stemmed from many of my own experiences, both recent and past. Having lived, traveled, studied, volunteered and taught abroad, I feel there are things I offer as an educator; equally, I always have a great deal to learn and discover about others and the world. This all makes teaching an appealing and appropriate profession for me. As an experienced and enthusiastic educator with years of teaching experience in diverse school districts in the United States and also abroad, I look forward to the possibility of supporting students in a variety of ways. In addition to teaching in Oregon, I also taught in Korea for two years and Japan for three years with my husband, as well as traveled and volunteered extensively in a variety of places - Cambodia, Costa Rica, India, Laos, China, Vietnam, South America, Nepal, Myanmar, Malaysia.

Due to my father's job, in middle school I had the opportunity to live abroad as a student for two years. My family and I lived on the tiny island of Taiwan in a small (at the time) town called Taichung when I was in 6th and 7th grade. Our town was "small" and we did not speak the language when we arrived. Although I am Mexican-American, I was not an immigrant or refugee while living in Taiwan, and had the gift of being able to travel fairly extensively with my family throughout many parts of Asia. This experience, especially as a middle schooler, undoubtedly opened my eyes to the "world" and cultures beyond my own. I was immersed in new languages, lived in different places and met many people in completely different environments. It was an experience that has continued to enrich, encourage, motivate and inspire me. After graduating from college, I studied Spanish in Costa Rica and then came back to the United States to get my teaching credentials and ELA and ESOL Endorsements from San Francisco State University and University of California, Berkeley. I received my Master's Degree from the University of Portland.

As previously mentioned, I was able to have an extensive Asian and South American journey with my amazing husband, Mark, before we started our family. We traveled, worked, lived and volunteered in Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Nepal. We had wonderful experiences volunteering with Tibetan refugees and monks in India. It's difficult to put into words, but all of these experiences have opened and continue to open my eyes to the challenges that people face, especially when new to a country, culture, language and way of life and/or struggling in a particular academic area.

Because of my own experiences and interest in other cultures as a young student, I realized that I really wanted to work in schools with diverse populations. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching English Language Development, Language Arts, Reading, Social Studies at the elementary, middle and high school levels, both in the U.S. and abroad. I believe the role of teacher and student overlap as I, too, constantly learn and discover. In my personal experience, I have encountered both the excitement as well as the more challenging aspects of living in a new place. Simultaneously, I have been in the role of language learner and that of a language teacher. I feel I have become sensitive to the needs, difficulties and "frustrations" of learners and more aware of the responsibilities of being a teacher. Additionally, I have become more informed about the differences between various educational systems, learning styles and approaches to learning.

Professionally, I know that I enjoy being actively involved in multiple aspects of being an educator. As a teacher in the United States, I have coached sports through community/school programs ( rock-climbing, volleyball, soccer and track & field), I've developed and taught after-school art and creative writing classes, ran a Girls' Support Group, coordinated the Multicultural Club and was a Student Activities Director and Leadership Advisor, which all enabled me to be involved with students and families/caregivers, as well as the community. When living and teaching abroad, my involvement combined specific on-site support with broader professional development areas and included making contributions to publications, conducting district teacher-training seminars and presentations, parent workshops, cross-cultural symposiums, new teacher orientations and implementing long-range curriculum development.

Personally, I continue to study Spanish, am in the process of writing a children's book, love reading and cooking, am an avid gardener and love being active outdoors. I am a parent of two teenagers and married to a middle school teacher. Somehow we all manage to survive!