¿Quién soy yo?  Who am I?

Alaska has been my home since 1985.  I was born and raised in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, located an hour north of Washington, D.C.  My family owns a 230 acre farm close to the Potomac River with a vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The farm (c 1750) is a historical landmark and was placed in the Civil War Land Trust.  It can never be developed.

Education has always been important to me.  I have a BA in Spanish from UAA; an AA in Graphic Design from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV; a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from West Virginia University (to instruct art on the college level); and a BA in Secondary Art Education/Fine Art from Hollins University in Roanoke, VA.

As a Spanish teacher, I am highly qualified in two ways.  I have a BA in Spanish and I have taken and passed the Spanish Praxis two.  Previously I was a junior high art teacher for five years in Shepherdstown, WV.  I have taught at Goldenview Middle School since 2004, so I have a lot of teaching experience.

Originally I learned French in high school and in college.  However when my daughter was enrolled in the Spanish immersion program at Government Hill Elementary School, I decided that it was important for me to learn the language that my daughter was studying.  Subsequently I earned a degree in Spanish.  I have studied Spanish since 1996 and continue to learn it.  I love learning languages!

I am an Anchorage Trail Watch ambassador (since 2003) and patrol the Coastal Trail on a daily basis throughout the year. Also I have received training as an official Graffiti Buster. 

Art-wise, I write poetry, oil paint, sketch, or make woodcuts.  One of my poems received honorable mention in the 27th Annual Anchorage Daily News/UAA Creative Writing Contest in 2008.

In addition to teaching Spanish, I am a dedicated runner with over 30 years of running experience.  Also I enjoy mountain biking, hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, swimming, and riding horses.  I am an avid reader and always have at least three books in progress.  I am an animal lover and have a Siamese rescue cat named Lilly; Lucky, a rescued Maltese barn cat from West Virginia, and Rooby a joyous Australian Shepherd.