Welcome!

I’m so excited to welcome you to class this year, and I’m honored to be your teacher. Our classroom will be a place where we explore literature through different lenses, engage with a wide range of perspectives, ask meaningful questions, and learn to communicate our ideas with confidence and purpose.

Throughout the year, you will have opportunities to work independently and collaboratively, participate in thoughtful discussions, challenge your thinking, and learn from the ideas and experiences of those around you. I hope that you will discover not only how powerful literature can be, but also how reading and writing can help you better understand yourself, others, and the world around you.

Our Classroom Community

I want our classroom to feel like a second home: a place where you feel safe, respected, challenged, and encouraged to be yourself, while maintaining an academic environment in which every voice matters. At Pacifica, I truly believe in the power of relationships and community. We are part of something bigger than ourselves, and I want our classroom to reflect that sense of belonging.

I also believe that learning is a two-way experience. You will learn from me, and I will learn from you. Every year, my students remind me that there is always another way to see a story, understand an idea, or interpret a character. Sometimes my perspective changes because of my own experiences, but more often, it changes because of the thoughtful questions and insights my students bring to our discussions.

That is one of the reasons I love teaching literature. A great story never stays the same. As we grow, our understanding of the characters, conflicts, themes, and lessons within a text can change right along with us. My favorite part of teaching is watching literature come alive as we connect it to our own experiences and discover new meaning together.

A Little About Me

I graduated from Chapman University with a degree in English, a teaching credential, and a Master’s degree in Reading. I have always loved reading, learning, and being outdoors. In high school and at Chapman, I ran Cross Country and Track & Field, experiences that taught me the importance of perseverance, discipline, teamwork, and pushing beyond what I thought I could accomplish.

I believe education is not simply about earning a grade. It is about growth, curiosity, perseverance, and becoming the best version of yourself.

I am excited to get to know each of you, learn alongside you, and make this a meaningful year together.

Welcome to our classroom. I’m glad you’re here.