Background:

Born and raised in Southern California, I did my undergraduate work at UCLA, where I received a degree in American Literature & Culture.  Always fascinated by the field of journalism, I was an editor at the Daily Bruin newspaper, and interned at The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times while in college.  Following UCLA, I had a career as a professional screenwriter, working within the studio system and earning admittance to the Writers’ Guild of America.  More recently, I have been working on my Master’s in Education at CSUN, where I have focused on the use of collaborative group work in the classroom.

Teaching: 

The importance of education was imparted to me as a child, described as an essential path to freedom, success, and happiness. As an adult, I still believe that education has a transformational power; a solution to many of society's ills. 

Personal Philosophy:

Late Twentieth Century American Literature is indebted to the cross-cultural works of authors like Sandra Cisneros (Chicana literature), Toni Morrison(African-American literature), and Louise Erdrich (Native American literature), among others, who revealed universal themes in specific, personal stories. We live in a multiethnic, multilingual society, where students come from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, and I believe in the power of literature to help share our commonalities and celebrate our differences. 

Interests and Hobbies: 

I love hiking, and recently went on a camping trip to Yosemite. I'm also a big football fan, and root for the San Diego Chargers.  Since I'm a Bruin, I cheer for all the UCLA teams, and watching basketball during March Madness reminds me of the time that my alma mater won it all in 1995.