Faculty
I have been an instructor in one capacity or another for thirty years. I have taught both juveniles and adults and I am currently the co-director of College and Career Readiness and an instructor at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs. I teach the ASE/ABE/ESL programs. I have taught at Western Wyoming Community College for the past sixteen years and I love my job. Before teaching at Western Wyoming Community College, I worked for ten years teaching individuals with developmental disabilities practical work skills on the job. I have also taught water aerobics classes at the Green River Recreation Center for the past 20 years. My teaching philosophy can be summed up in a proverb that states: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Adult education should enable students to problem solve and use critical thinking to improve their lives. The information should be shared in a way that the student is an integral part of the learning process and as a result they are better equipped to solve their own problems in life. In matters outside of work, my family loves animals and the great outdoors. We have three horses, three dogs, and three cats. We practically live outdoors and are constantly on the go from sun-up to sundown. We golf, hunt, fish, boat, hike, ski, water ski, ride horses, four wheelers, bicycles and street motorcycles. Our life philosophy is to work hard so we can play hard.
The College and Career Readiness lab at Western is an amazing place to work! Through College and Career Readiness, I am able to empower my students to better their lives by earning a high school equivalency certificate, learning English, or developing college and career skills. I wear many hats at Western. Aside from my primary position as an ABE/ESL and Developmental Studies instructor, I have taken on several other Western Wyoming Community College responsibilities. I teach a variety of classes to international college students and assisting with international club. I lead students and community members in travel to Europe, Central America and Australia (several other travel opportunities in the works). I also enjoy educating community members about personal finance and sharing my love for baking and cake decorating through Western’s Community Education courses (800 students so far and counting!). In my free time I enjoy traveling, hiking, camping and skiing. I also enjoy spending time with my family and making do it yourself (DIY) YouTube videos about baking and cake decorating.
I love working at College and Career Readiness! The faculty and staff are amazing coworkers. We strive hard to provide an individual plan for each student so that each one can be successful. I love teaching in a positive environment which encourages students to add the word “yet” at the end of each “I can’t do that.” sentence. Teaching and helping people achieve their goals is a very rewarding career. I teach reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. My reading and writing classes are combined ESL/ABE to provide the basics in language, fluency, and grammar. My ABE math class is structured to provide a strong math foundation for students to progress into the ASE math course provided at CCR. Social studies and science are outlined to review main points in these subjects to prepare students to be successful on the Hi-Set test. My goal as a teacher is to continue learning and improving so that I can help each student reach his/her goals. In my free time I enjoy traveling, reading, and spending time with my family. In the past year I have traveled to Idaho, Washington, Utah, Arizona, and Italy. I hope this year will bring many exciting and challenging adventures.
I began working in the College & Career Readiness lab in August of 2021, and I have taught the evening ESL classes for 3 years at Western Wyoming Community College. I enjoyed teaching 4th graders in Fountain, Colorado for 3 years and then Middle School Math on the Fort Carson Army base for 6 years, but after moving to Rock Springs and a stint doing social work for several years, I find it is great to be teaching adults now too. I have always believed that both teaching and learning should be fun, and I try to make that happen – for my students and for me! These days, I love hanging out with the grand kids, traveling the world (pre-Covid), reading horror stories, skiing in Pinedale with my wife, and the Broncos… sigh!
I earned my bachelor’s degree in Education in 2006 at The University of Carabobo, Venezuela. I worked as an ESL teacher for several years, among other bilingual positions. I am currently working as an ESL Adjunct Instructor in College and Career Readiness. I am so thankful for the opportunity to do what I love and for being part of such an amazing and supportive team. I have a true passion for working with adult learners because helping each person to progress in English skills is a challenge that I am honored to accept daily. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling, reading, cooking, outdoor activities, and especially spending quality time with family.
Staff
For more information, contact the College and Career Readiness, A212, Rock Springs, (307) 382-1829 or learning@westernwyoming.edu.