Acerca de mi (About Me)

I was born in sunny southern California, where I spent the first six years of my life. My family then moved to Boise, Idaho where I lived until I embarked on my journey in higher education. 

I began to study the Spanish language as a young middle-schooler. I could have never predicted where my first encounters of the Spanish language and culture would take me…

I found myself in Bellingham, Washington where I attended Western Washington University and earned my BA in Spanish and a P-12 teaching certificate. With high interest in language learning, I also pursued my Bilingual Education and TESOL certifications. For a semester during my college career, I had the unique opportunity to study Spanish Language and Literature at the Universidad de Cádiz in Cádiz, a small coastal city in southern Spain. I completed my MEd in Mindfulness for Educators in 2020 and in 2022 earned my Integrative Life Coaching and Meditation & Mindfulness Teacher certifications. I hope to infuse my classes with even more mindful learning! 

My teaching path first started at Wellspring Community School, a small alternative private school in Bellingham, WA. Before finding my way to the San Juan Island, I taught Spanish around Whatcom county with a slight detour at one point to Bellevue. I have been a Mariner at Sehome High School as well as taught several quarters of Spanish through the Community Education program at Whatcom Community College. I have had the great opportunity of teaching the younger and middle kiddos as well at Fairhaven Middle School and Bellevue Children’s Academy. I taught on the San Juan Island at Spring Street International School for seven years. There I taught all levels from Spanish I to AP Spanish Language & Culture and led Spanish immersion excursions with students to Spain/Morocco, Peru, Guatemala/Honduras/Belize, Ecuador, and in 2015 we walked the Camino Portugués in northern Portugal and Spain. Having bounced around to Snoqualmie/North Bend, WA and to Tucson, I have landed in Bend, Oregon where I currently teach middle schoolers at an IB school and started leading excursions to a small village in Costa Rica. This will be my 17th year teaching! 

I have also spent time in many other Spanish-speaking countries including Cuba, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and the Dominican Republic. Having explored over 25 countries, I thoroughly enjoy leading excursions abroad with adolescents because I absolutely love bringing Spanish language and culture to all ages and levels, from middle school exploratory curriculum to advanced literature and AP courses. 

I am very passionate about learning, teaching, and traveling. When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy paddle boarding, swimming in the sea in my "seal suit," road biking, running, backpacking, skiing, and everything else outdoors. I also enjoy hanging out with my pup, Booker, who is bilingual as well. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of small communities and look forward to getting to know the Bend community even more!