Raised in a diplomatic family (similar to a military family), I traveled extensively as a child and experienced many cultures, perspectives, and languages. By the time I was nine, I had been on three continents and in seven countries. My itinerate upbringing bestowed in me a deep appreciation of diversity, a discerning ear for languages, and a gluttonous love of all foods!
I earned a BA in English from UC San Diego and an MFA in Creative Writing (with an emphasis in poetry) from San Diego State University. I have 19 years of higher education teaching experience, with four in the CSU system and 15 years in community colleges. Most recently, I was a tenured English professor at Cerritos College (in southern CA) before relocating to the Bay Area. In addition to teaching, my educational career also includes serving as an elected school board member for San Gabriel Unified, and an appointed school board member for Alameda Unified.
My Labor, organizing, and political involvement were initially afforded me through my service as an elected officer of my own faculty union (the Cerritos College Faculty Federation, AFT Local 6215), and I have since utilized those positions to build and broaden my Labor skillset and experience. For the past five years, I have worked in various roles within the Labor movement. I have served as a Rep/Organizer for SEIU-UHW, as the Community and Field Coordinator for the Silicon Valley MEPS (a nonprofit set up by the mechanical construction trades), as Labor Relations Representative for the San Francisco Municipal Executives Association, and as Assistant General Manager of Public Employees Union, Local 1.