Education is my passion and pursuit. I live by & prioritize my professional life by three driving goals:
1. Advocate for ELs
2. Empower ELs
3. Support teachers of ELs
I am an English Learning Facilitator for Allen ISD. I teach English as a Second Language at both D.L. Rountree Elementary and Beverly Cheatham Elementary for Pre-K through 6th grade. I hold Texas teaching certifications in Early Childhood through 4th Generalist and ESL, 4th through 8th Generalist and ESL, and Gifted and Talented.
I graduated December 2007 from the University of North Texas summa cum laude with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies for Early Childhood - 4th grade ESL Education as well as a minor in Spanish.
I started working on my Master’s of Curriculum & Instruction with a Literacy Focus through SMU and currently completing it through The University of Texas at Arlington.
I joined Allen ISD as an ESL teacher in January of 2008. Teaching English as a Second Language is an exciting and rewarding profession for which I am an avid advocate.
I believe that education plays a vital role in creating a better tomorrow, today.
I love to travel! Here are a few of my favorite destinations:
BELIZE - What an adventure! We split our trip between Hopkins, the southern jungle Bocawina, the Belize City capitol, and the island of Caye Caulker! The most memorable parts of this trip were definitely snorkeling with manatees and waterfall rappelling!
HONDURAS - The Honduran island of Roatan called to us as one of the best scuba diving locations in the world. Some highlights from this vacation were the monkeys & macaws of Gambalina Park, snorkeling, and the delicious dishes!
SWEDEN - It fills my heart to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and beautiful baby nieces live in Gothenburg! We took some great adventures through Saltholmen Brygga, Haga, & Tradgardsforeningen!
DENMARK - Full of nautical beauty and colorful spaces, traveling Copenhagen was such a fun time with one of my best friends, Katie, and my brother's family!
CZECH REPUBLIC - Prague was an exciting part of celebrating an educational milestone! My dear friend, Katie, just graduated with her doctorate from Pepperdine, so we stopped in Prague to celebrate!
HUNGARY - Though brief, Budapest was delicious! Best blueberry dessert I've ever tasted!
GREECE- The natural beauty of Greece is beyond words. Though we spent the majority of our Greek adventure on the island of Zakynthos, it was exciting to travel through Athens and Attiki!
ENGLAND - Always a quick stop, but London Heathrow is a staple of every Europe adventure!
MEXICO - Many of my wonderful students are from this beautiful & complex country. My first visit to Mexico was far too short! This second trip to Mexico was one of my favorite vacations of all time!
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BELGIUM - My brother & sister-in-law were blessed with fellowships to study in Leuven. It was exciting to be there for his first & second masters graduations! Bruges, Antwerp, and Brussels are definitely worth the trip!
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FRANCE - During one part of our adventure through France, we stayed in a wing of the hospital across from the Notre Dame!
ITALY - Italian gelato is *by far* my favorite travel treat!
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BRAZIL -in a brief month I visited the center of Sao Paulo city, the countryside, a fazenda, and a beach! Delicious fish!
JAMAICA - Our mission group worked with other groups from around the world to help build a school here. After working with the amazing local community to accomplish that beautiful task in Kingston, our group traveled to Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, & Negril (where I jumped off my first cliff into the beautiful blue sea!)
GUATEMALA - The sweet kiddos I taught in Guatemala will always have a special place in my heart. Even though I moved back to the United States, my experiences in Guatemala continue to help me be a better language teacher every day.
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CANADA - A brief weekend stay, but Niagara Falls was breathtaking!
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THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - There's nothing like snorkling in the clear waters of a Punta Cana beach! Plus, peacocks walk the premises!
I also enjoy taking my wonderful puppies, Floriana & Massimo, to different dog parks, having great conversations with family, friends, boyfriend, & new people, all kinds of experiments in arts & crafts, TED Talks, clean comedy, ancient cultures, surprising facts & statistics, photography, new inventions, languages, podcasts, and discovering treasures in unlikely places!
Massimo & Floriana!
