Born and raised in Santa Maria, CA, I enjoy living on the Central Coast and am very lucky to be teaching at Manzanita Public Charter School. I am a UCLA graduate and very fond of my days in Westwood. I have been teaching for six years and have enjoyed (nearly) every minute of it. I am driven to provide my students with the best education possible so that they are better prepared for the rigors of modern life. This job can be challenging at times but I view those times as an opportunity to be creative. Figuring out how to best teach each individual student is a fun puzzle to solve. I believe in working in tandem with parents and school staff to meet each child’s needs in the most effective way possible.

 

Outside the classroom I enjoy being active and play sports for exercise. Growing up I was one of those kids that was always in sports and I remain a big sports fan to this day (Bruins! Raiders! Gunners!). I also like to tap into my creativity by writing in my free time. I encourage students to find a sport/hobby they can dedicate themselves to because it will lead them to develop useful skills they can apply throughout their lives. The benefits of overcoming challenges are immeasurable; helping kids understand that is the toughest and most rewarding part of my job.