Welcome! I’m glad you’re here.
About Me
I was born and raised in sunny southern California. I had no idea what I wanted to do in life until I watched “An Inconvenient Truth” my junior year of high school and was inspired to save the planet. I got my bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Protection at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 2012. After working a few years in the corporate world and feeling disconnected from my purpose, I decided to spend my savings on a trip to the Galapagos Islands (with marine iguanas!) where Charles Darwin was inspired to write about his theory of evolution. During the trip, I was reminded how much I love the natural world, so I decided to go to graduate school and study biology. I planned on staying a full-time scientist after grad school until I happened to teach a biology lab for some extra cash, and BOOM! I fell in love with teaching science. I earned my Master’s degree in Biology from San Diego State University in 2018, and I continued teaching biology part-time at the college level in southern California. The endless trees and rain brought me to Portland in 2019. I am having a blast in the Pacific Northwest!
Science is for Everyone
Contrary to popular belief or whatever anyone may have told you, science is for everyone. By that, I mean that science belongs to all of us. We are products of it—our bodies are just big groups of cells working together. It surrounds us—our entire environment is made up of different molecules that interact with each other. But most importantly, I mean that, given the appropriate materials and guidance, anyone who wants to learn about science can learn about science. We are not born with an all-knowing scientific ability. Sure, some of us may be more enthusiastic than others about marine iguana facts, but all of us are capable of learning about science, regardless of who we are, what we look like, or where we come from. It is my commitment to you as my students to help you learn and connect with the material we cover–and believe it or not, make biology entertaining!
Current Courses/Teaching Approach
I’ve taught biology at two other colleges, and will be my fifth term teaching Biology 101 at PCC. My current and future Biology 101 sections consist of one live online lecture a week, followed by one in-person and in-person lab a week. Engaging with students live and in-person and being available to answer questions is important to me. Learning is not always easy, but I promise to make the experience as welcoming, meaningful, and fun as possible!