Background

I was born in Mexico City, raised in East Los Angeles, and came of age in the San Francisco Bay Area.  With a B.A. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley and an M.A. in English (TESOL emphasis) from San Francisco State University, I embarked on a career change which eventually brought me to Cuyamaca College and Southern California.  Before I entered the teaching profession, I worked as a Public Information Officer, Spanish language Tour Guide, and Managing Editor of a bilingual weekly in Oakland, California. 

Interests, Activities, & Plans

I am fascinated with bilingualism, language acquisition and understanding the social forces that impact language maintenance and language loss.  I love Latin music, foreign travel, Napa chardonnay and spending an afternoon at the movies with a giant tub of popcorn (not necessarily in that order).   I definitely believe in the concept of lifelong learning; as such, I plan to continue with postgraduate studies, hopefully complete a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics.