Welcome! I am so excited to be your guide this year on a journey through literature and language. 

I am graduate of Western Washington Unversity with a degree in creative writing and secondary education. I have been teaching at HM Jackson High School since 2014. Before coming to teach English at Jackson H.S. I taught in Asia for eight years both in person and online. 

 One of the reasons I love English so much is because of stories. I love to tell stories and I love to hear stories. I can't wait to hear YOUR story. There are patterns in stories that reflect something true about who we are. One story pattern that has profoundly impacted my life is the story of the hero. In a hero's journey story, the main character (and future hero) is living a boring and mundane life until a big event or problem disrupts the normal day to day routine. In the beginning, the character is weak and hopelessly pathetic--totally unprepared for facing and conquering the challenges ahead. They might even hide or run in the opposite direction. However, a mentor figure or friends convince the protagonist to  join in the adventure despite their inadequacies. And this is important: the hero says, "Yes." Without the yes, there is no story. So, the pitiful character faces many trials with the help of his or her friends and ultimately defeats the bad guy and grows from an insignificant weakling into a strong and needed member of the community. This is a proven strategy for changing the world for the better. Can you believe that? We have a proven pattern for making the world a better place. How wonderful!