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I was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador. I share my story with thousands of Central Americans who were forced to migrate due to one of the bloodiest civil wars in the history of Latin America.
I took ESL classes at Abraham Freeman Occupational Center in downtown, Los Angeles and soon developed an interest for English grammar. In the spring of 2000, after two years of ESL, I graduated and also earned a GED diploma.
In the fall of 2000, I started attending Santa Monica College to work on an Associate Degree. It was at SMC where I developed a vast appetite for first and second language acquisition.
Then, in 2005, I transferred to The California State University at Northridge to begin working on my BA in Linguistics. While attending CSUN, I began working as an ESL tutor at Los Angeles Mission College, which triggered my passion for teaching ESL. In 2007, I graduated from CSUN with a BA in Linguistics and two minors: TESL and Central American Studies. In 2007, I began teaching ESL at Los Angeles Valley College. Currently, I also teach ESL at College of the Canyons.
Eventually I would like to earn my Masters from UCLA. I would also like to work with the Indigenous communities of Central America to research more in-depth the Nahualt language of El Salvador.
Teaching ESL is my life. I struggled learning English, adapting to a new culture and new ethos. Therefore, my mission is not only to walk into a classroom and facilitate second language acquisition but also to share my story with those who have also struggled finding a voice of their own in a new country.
