Cactus Shadows High School

About Me  

¡Hola! I was born in Knoxville, TN but mainly grew up outside Chicago. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned my Bachelors in K-12 World Language. I started teaching in 2006 and have taught every level from elementary to college. I first came to the valley in 2008 and started teaching Spanish at Desert Vista High School. In 2012 earned my Masters in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University. After completing my Masters, I taught at Arcadia High School, teaching Dual Enrollment Spanish and sponsoring the Spanish and Baking Club. I also taught Spanish online for my alma mater, ASU, for many years. My family relocated to Cave Creek in 2021 and I taught for two years at Sonoran Trails Middle School. I am very excited to join the Cactus Shadows staff this year and continue to teach some of my old students, and meet new ones!

My Educational Philosophy

The difference between learning and memorization is connection. Connecting a student's interests and skills to new information helps them retain the information and foster life long learning. Studying a language is also all about building connections; connecting students to a whole other culture. I love to help my students find something they enjoy about Spanish. Maybe it's connecting their love of art to making papel picado, or applying their confidence in math to grammar formulas. World languages encompass all skills and academic content so every student can find something that engages them. I love inspiring learners who are interested in the vast world around them and continue that interest into high school and beyond.