In the fall of 2001, I began my career teaching ninth and tenth grade English in Roma, Texas, a small, rural town nestled right on the border of Mexico. I arrived in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) through the Teach For America program, which addresses educational inequity by placing recent college graduates in low-income communities to teach for two years. I had just graduated from James Madison University and spent six weeks in an intense summer training institute. I immersed myself in my school, my community, and my job. While those first two years in the classroom were intensely challenging, I quickly realized that I would spend the rest of my life working in education.

I left Roma for one year to pursue my master’s degree in Education from Harvard University. After graduating, I returned to Texas and worked as a Program Director with Teach For America – Rio Grande Valley. I developed and implemented a professional development support structure for first- and second-year teachers across fifteen schools in three districts. I spent my time observing teachers, providing constructive feedback and support, delivering English- and literacy-based workshops, and planning conferences for teachers. Even though I donned a suit every day in the intense heat of South Texas, I loved my job. The shared passion among my colleagues propelled me to support them as best I could, and their students deserved the best possible teachers we could provide.

Observing students and teachers made me miss the classroom more than I ever imagined possible. In the spring of 2006, my wife and I moved to Fairfax County, VA, where I currently teach freshmen English and run the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program at Fairfax High School (FHS). Last year I pursued the Teaching Ambassador Fellowship in an effort to examine ways in which policy affects public school students from low-income and minority backgrounds. Specifically, I worked with policymakers in the Smaller Learning Communities grant program to examine freshmen transition programs and others avenues to provide academic and social support to all students as they progress through high school. The fellowship also allowed me to work closely with the Department of Education to highlight the AVID program; I delivered presentations and organized a visit to FHS by former Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings. I was also selected as the 2008-2009 FHS Teacher of the Year, an honor that highlights my love of teaching kids.

When I’m not teaching, I love spending time with my wife and working on our new home in Annandale, VA. I also enjoy playing tennis, mountain biking, cooking, reading, and rooting for the Boston Red Sox with my dog, Scooby-Doo.