University Degrees

2022-Present - Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Literacy from St. John’s University

ABD (All But Dissertation)

Specialization: Artificial Intelligence in Secondary & Post-Secondary Literacy Studies

Dissertation Title: New Literacies in the AI Age (in progress)

Advisor: Olivia G. Stewart, Ph.D.

2012 - Master’s of Arts in English (focus: Literature & Rhetoric) from California State University of Bakersfield

2009 - Bachelor's of Arts in English Cum Laude (Linguistics Specialization with History Minor) from California State University of Bakersfield

Additional Credentials & Qualifications

2014 - Clear Single Subject Secondary Teaching Credential in English 

2012 - Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Writing from California State University of Bakersfield

2014 - Certification in English Reading & Writing Curriculum (ERWC Curriculum Certification)

2012 - Life Membership in the National Speech Speech & Debate Association as former NSDA Speech & Debate Coach (Special Distinction Level Coach)

University Scholarship Honor Societies

2012 - Elected to Life Membership of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society (3.8 GPA)

2010 - Elected to Life Membership to Alpha Chi National Honor Scholarship Society (3.8 GPA)

Early on in my journey as an educator, I stumbled across this quote from one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck, and it aligned greatly with a key part of teaching philosophy which values equipping and empowering students to seek out truth and knowledge with essential secondary & postsecondary literacy skills. This quote aligns with my teaching views that great educators are truly coaches of key literacy skills that equip, empower, and impassion students towards becoming motivated and expert readers, writers, researchers, and learners. While great educators often share their knowledge, they even more frequently position and facilitate students with excellent books and resources to discover key knowledge and truths themselves. Importantly as well in my personal teaching philosophy I firmly believe that educators should motivate students by modeling how a passionate and life long learner seeks to develop and use reading, writing, and research skills to discover new and deeper knowledge and essential truths (within any discipline).

Steinbeck encapsulated this definition of exceptional educators in this following quote: 

“[My great teachers] had these things in common. They all loved what they were doing. They did not tell - they catalyzed a burning desire to know. Under their influence, the horizons sprung wide and fear went away and the unknown became knowable. But most important of all, the truth, that dangerous stuff, became beautiful and precious.”

-John Steinbeck from On Teaching (A Quote by John Steinbeck).

Over the past decade, along with teaching HS English, Coaching Speech & Debate, I also have taught many classes at CSUB from Writing & Research courses at CSUB ( to a few semesters of a High School English Education class. Throughout the years, my teaching philosophy has been primarily to guide and support my students as a coach of essential postsecondary literacy skills which equip the students with the necessary skills while also “catalyzing a burning desire to know” and to pursue that “dangerous stuff” the truth. Secondarily, I have sought to equip students with essential postsecondary reading, writing, research, and communication skills that help those symbolic “horizons” spring open and empower them as they pursue their varying academic, personal, and professional journeys.