When I graduated from high school, I was certain I wanted two things for myself: to find my community in the Bay Area and to be an educator. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in history at the University of San Francisco, I was able to combine my first goal with my second, and I went on to earn two teaching credentials, in social science and in English language arts at San Francisco State University. This education kept me informed on California’s shifting curriculum standards and gave me my enthusiasm for using information technology to help my students.

History and the humanities have been a passion of mine since I was very young. I enjoyed creating elaborate historical presentations in school, taking on the role of historical figures, and I have always read with ardor and a hunger to explore new literary worlds. I believe that history is the human story. Many students are mistaught the subject as rote fact memorization, when understanding the themes and decisions that shape that story, and shape the world we have inherited, is far more engaging for students and true to the subject. Similarly, English is a tool for self-expression, a tool in which I hope to help my students discover their agency and comfort. By showing how authors past have found their words, my students can find their words within themselves.

In my decade of education experience I have taught after-school classes, tutored, filled long-term substitutions, and taught full time in the classroom. In San Francisco, I taught after-school classes for three years. I also taught long-term substitutions at Presidio Middle School and Le Lycee Français La Pérouse. Before leaving the city, I taught middle school and high school history and English at the Fei Tian School. After moving to the Peninsula, I taught long term substitutions at San Mateo High School and day-term assignments throughout the San Mateo Union High School District. I have also worked as a middle school English and history teacher at McKinley Institute of Technology for a year term and as an English, AVID, and ERWC teacher at Campbell District’s Leigh High School for a year term.

Education is, to me, a way to engage with the betterment of my community and help those who need it. My philosophy in teaching and tutoring is to establish an empathetic and respectful working relationship with each student, on which our learning environment is built. I model acceptance of mistakes and persistence for my students by presenting myself as human with faults of my own. To engage my students in English and history, I explore that which engages them, and demonstrate how these subjects can empower them. I also teach holistically, promoting an intellectual and emotional safe space in which students feel confident in developing their skills and competencies.

In my personal time, I pursue intellectual, spiritual, and physical hobbies. I enjoy writing poetry, reading Star Wars fiction, bicycling, hiking, meditating, and participating in tabletop roleplaying and board games. I also am a part of two multi-religious congregations, with whom I join in inclusive spiritual community events.