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I owe everything to my wonderful family. My mother Clotilde and father Joao (pictured above) were born in Azores, Portugal and moved here with their families in the 1970's. In Portugal, my dad was responsible for working on the family ranch, so he never had much of a chance to go to school. When my mom moved here, she attended and graduated from Luther Burbank High School. Although neither parent ever went to college, the importance of education was stressed in our household from day one. They both had to work very hard to support my sister Julie and I and for that I am forever grateful. I am also thankful for my wonderful girlfriend. We met in our Master's program, and I remembered how impressed I was with her teaching. She is always there for me and has been an inspiration to me in all aspects of my life, especially my teaching.
Our family lived in Sacramento our whole lives. I originally attended Nicholas Elementary School and then transferred to Peter Burnett. Next, I went to Fern Bacon Middle School and graduated from Luther Burbank High School. There I was enrolled in the Navy Junior ROTC program led by Commander Robinson, Chief Coyne, and Chief Jones. Looking back, the discipline and leadership skills I learned there inspired me to become a teacher. Following high school, I attended college at University of the Pacific, Cosumnes River College, and Sacramento State University. At CSUS, I received my Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies, multiple subject teaching credential, and Master's Degree in Educational Technology from the iMet program. I enjoy learning about technology and implementing in into the curriculum. Seeing my students create PowerPoint presentations, newsletters, photostories, videos, and even their own webpages has been very rewarding for me as an educator.
I am very appreciative of all of my friends. Many of us went through middle and high school together and remain close to this day. We make an effort to spend time together whether iit be at someone's house or during one of our annual camping trips. I know I can count on them for anything!
TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More |
