Sci-Fi High School

In ten years' time, I have been involved in teaching History and Psychology at both the collegiate and high school level. In that capacity, I have created interactive and engaging lessons for high school electives to the Advanced Placement and survey college classes. From 2016-2017, I served as a member of the Portland Public Schools Ethnic Studies Oversight Committee where I curated curricula which spoke to both multiple perspectives and culturally responsive teaching theories. Later that year, I curated and designed 50 lesson plans for the Oregon Historical Society's Traveling Trunk exhibits. In 2018, I researched and designed an exhibit which was installed at the Oregon State Capitol Observation Deck. In 2020, I was nominated for the 2021 Oregon Teacher of the Year Award. I also have a book in the works covering the history of baseball in Oregon. I can frequently be found promoting Oregon sports histories everything from National Public History Conferences to Rotary Club Meetings.

I am a firm believer in the notion that the ones who speak are the ones who learn. With this mantra in mind, I have designed all my curricula to be student driven with the teacher serving as a guide. I have found that a teacher is able to develop stronger relationships with students in this fashion. As a multiethnic individual on the Autistic Spectrum, I am also a passionate believer in culturally responsive teaching. Students must find relevance in the content. The best way of accomplishing this task is to give them a voice and give the content enough flexibility to speak to their culture. This can mean anything from students being able to research their own family's history to using popular culture to engage students in rigorous activities.

2021: Oregon History Teacher of the Year Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. 2020: Oregon Teacher of the Year Nominee 2017 Founder: Franklin Historical Society, officially registered partner of Oregon Historical Society. 2016 Franklin Strong Faculty Award 2015 Franklin Parent Teacher Staff Association Award 2015 Keynote Speaker for Association of Living History Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) West Coast Regional Conference 2015 Willamette Heritage Center Service Award

I am a graduate of Umpqua Community College, Western Oregon University and Oregon State University. I send all my alma matters prospective students so they don't ask me for money.

As a person on the spectrum, I learned how to "properly" function through science fiction. Mr. Spock, Data and Captain Picard from Star Trek are my personal heroes. In fact, they helped me learn how to talk. When I teach in the classroom, my voice adapts to Captain Picard's voice inflection. I bring my experiences as a person of color and person on the spectrum to the classroom. It's a multi-lingual experience in my classroom. By the end of the school year, students learn phrases in Spanish, Hawaiian and Klingon.