I earned my Masters Degree in English Literature from California State University, Long Beach, and following 4 years of part time teaching at CSULB and Santa Ana College, I was hired full time at Long Beach City College in 2001.  Long Beach City is one of the most diversified campuses in America, a quality that I thoroughly enjoy because it offers many chances for me to utilize the cultural experiences gained from many years of travel and living abroad.

As an undergraduate student, I lived in London and studied at the University of London, Bloomsbury, in the heart of literary London. During that time, I traveled to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Rome (where I was blessed by Pope John Paul II at an Easter service), Moscow and St Petersburg (where I walked on the frozen Gulf of Finland), as well as Wales and Scotland. During my Master’s program, I studied at the University of Wollongong, in Australia, which offered me the chance to explore the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the Fijian Islands.  Those experience lead me to my life philosophy: travel is the best education possible, and I can proudly boast at having inspired many students to travel and study abroad.

This quest for foreign experiences also lead to my various sabbatical projects, a global research quest for mythology in countries that reflect the diversity of our LBCC student population. These research experiences form the internal foundation of my lectures and are my students’ favorite portions of my lectures.

In addition to my research, I also have served my college in several capacities, as the Course Evaluation subcommittee chair, as the English Majors and Minors advisor, and the OER/Burden-Free Materials Coordinator. I also lead workshops through the CSU Chancellor’s Office, training and certifying high school teachers in the ERWC. I also serve as a reviewer for the Community College Chancellor’s Office in the C-ID (California Identification System).

Aside from my college duties, I am also a long-term athlete.  I hold fitness certifications in Les Mills BODYPUMP, CORE, Spinning, and Rowbics. Some of my proudest accomplishments are running a sub-4 hour marathon in Santa Barbara in 2013 (and that was one hilly course!) and winning the Ragnar Vail Lake Push-Up Contest in October 2014, and completing a solo summit of the Cactus to Clouds Trail up Mt. San Jacinto.  I love to challenge myself, and I frequently use my own personal goals, accomplishments and even my failures teachable moments.