I was born in New York to parents who were engineers at IBM. As a very young kid, I loved to read; while I was growing up, I loved school and what it stood for: intellectual curiosity; fun; friendliness; and the potential to become something later on in life. No one in my immediate family is a teacher, and I had to strive against the opinions of my friends and family to pursue my goal to become a teacher, but my love of reading took me a long way. I ended up majoring in English at Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California. Then, I obtained my Multiple Subject Credential and Masters of Education from San Jose State University. As a student-teacher, I taught in third grade and kindergarten. Subsequently, I substitute-taught in the SJUSD district in many different grades. Then, I taught 8th, 7th, and 6th grade at St. Pius School in Redwood City; and most recently, I taught high school seniors English at Willow Glen High School. On a personal level, I love to play tennis; to ballroom dance; to sing pop and Indian music; and to read books and discuss topics about the world with friends and family.