I grew up in Southern California, in a small town called Ojai, nestled in the foothills of the Los Padres National Forest and 20 minutes from the beach. My parents live on a 10-acre orange orchard, and we grow a lot of our own fruits and vegetables. Being outdoors and involved in my food production are important parts of my background that inform how I live today: I enjoy being active, going on camping or hiking adventures, and growing and cooking with whatever herbs or veggies I can.
I am a middle child: my sister is six years older, graduated from Washing University in St. Louis with an MFA, specializing in photography, video art, and print making. My brother is six years younger, involved in sports and music in his high school. Although we are all fairly far apart in age, having siblings has had a profound impact on me and how I think about myself. Apart from them, I have a large, close-knit extended family on both sides, and that sense of family and community plays a large part in my identity. In my family is also based another important part of my self-identity: my mother’s family is Catholic, and my father’s family is Jewish. Although I practice neither religion, I identify culturally with both and have made it a priority to understand their respective customs and practices.
As far as my scholastic interests, I am working on endorsements in both English and Spanish at the high school level. I was a Comparative Literature major in undergrad, with a focus on Latin American literature. I have been studying Spanish since the second grade, and I studied abroad in both Spain and Ecuador. Literature is a passion of mine, and has been since an early age, and that is where my teaching interest most strongly lies, both in English and in Spanish. It is my belief that the study of literature is the study of human beings, and it is first and foremost the most effective tool we have for studying the human condition.
I appreciated your reflection statement on cultural sensitivity to being raised in a family that practices both the Jewish and Catholic religions. I'm trying to imagine what that might have been like growing up as a child and young adult and how that shaped your current beliefs. Thanks for sharing, and having your great depth of experiences in Spanish will certainly pay dividends when it comes to job hunting.
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