My Personal Life

I was born and raised in Lima, Peru in a family of five children—four sisters and one brother—and I have wanted to become a teacher since I was 8 years old. I remember teaching my younger sister how to write her name, how to tie her shoelaces, and, once she started school, I always helped her with her homework. Later on, at 12 years old, I volunteered at the Kids’ Ministry at my local church where I planned weekly lessons.

I moved to the United States of America in October 2013 when I got married to my better half, Mario, who already lived in San Diego, CA. We were in a long-distance relationship for a year and a half before deciding we wanted to always be together, so we got married! In 2018, I officially became a U.S. citizen after lots of paperwork, interviews and fingerprinting. Throughout our journey together, Mario and I have supported each other unconditionally and have worked hard to accomplish our goals, including pursuing higher education for both. In 2021, we welcomed our sweet little daughter, Mia.

My Experience as a Teacher

My experience as a teacher started at a really young age. First, I taught my younger sister at home. Then, I was in charge of planning weekly lessons for kids at my local church in Peru. Later on, at 18 years old, I met Jerry, a 4-year-old Chinese boy whose mom hired me to teach him Spanish. I closely worked with him for a year and I got to know him very well. I remember planning my lessons based on the things he liked and what interested him. I can proudly say that Jerry became a fluent Spanish speaker. After all these years, I still keep in touch with Jerry!

Throughout my preparation as an educator, I have completed more than a hundred hours of volunteer work in various grade levels in schools within the Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD). I have also done more than 600 hours of student teaching in the same school district. During my time at SDSU, I also had the opportunity to volunteer at local elementary schools in Granada, Spain, and in Tijuana, Baja California, where I served underprivileged communities, such as the Comunidad Antorcha.

My journey as an elementary school teacher started in 2020 at Gage Elementary School, where I taught a dual-immersion second-grade class. Before the end of the 2020–2021 school year, I transferred to the Chula Vista Elementary School District and started teaching fifth and sixth grade at Clear View Elementary School. Then, I moved to Hedenkamp Elementary School where I teach dual-immersion first grade since 2021.