I am a homeschooling mom of four children who obtained my bachelor's degree from UC Davis twenty years ago! Although I had an emphasis on teaching at the time, I was offered a public service job by the City of Davis immediately after graduation. I happily served as the City's Paratransit Coordinator for seven years until I resigned in 2012, a few months after having my first child. The fourteen years since have been spent raising my kids with love and intention, maintaining my health amidst autoimmune disorder, caring for elderly relatives, moving to a new home, and dealing with the grief of losing my father to a violent crime. Dedication to my family and everything that goes along with parenting and home education filled close to 100% of energy for a large portion of that time, and while my kids are still my priority, they are old enough now that we have established a workable routine. Pursuing a Master's Degree and Teaching Credential has been on my mind for quite some time but it was not until recently that returning to school and furthering my education became an option. Our family is very active and I have been kept busy even outside of the obligatory duties as stated above. I have also engaged in activities that have helped sustain my mental and physical health - I spend a significant amount of time training in martial arts and volunteering at our local animal shelter and have progressed to teaching and helping others in those capacities. The classic factors - time and money - have been the most pervasive challenge and while they continue to be obstacles I am determined to find a way to achieve my goal in this next chapter of life. I have dipped my toes into substitute teaching and one of the biggest challenges I foresee professionally is learning to adapt to the prevalence of technology in the classroom, as well as learning from peers who are much younger and have less life experience than me, but will posses superior technological skills and may be more relatable to the demographic being served. My homeschooling and substituting experience, however, have exposed me to a diverse community and learners of all styles and abilities, so I feel up to the challenge. My interest in serving the English learners community stems from my mother being an immigrant from the Philippines, who despite over 40 years here, still struggles with language and never fully adapted to culture here. I raised her and my younger brother in many ways and my childhood was unconventional and challenging, due in part to mental illness on both her and my late father's part. My husband is also an immigrant and non-native English speaker, but has been lucky enough to have lots of family support both back home in Sweden and here, and works for his cousin. As I stated earlier, family is incredibly important to us, so it was extra devastating when my father was killed. He was living in Mexico at the time with his "second family" and so I have half-siblings there that I would like to assist as well as soon as I am able. In my personal life, the previously declared challenges may be ongoing, but with the support of our independent study charter school, the flexibility of my husband's job, and the help of friends when needed, combined with my own organizational and time management skills, I am confident that I can put my future education to good use and give back to my community.

I am a mom of four that halted my plans to become a teacher years ago. Neither of my parents graduated high school, so it was important to all of us that my younger brother and I attend college. After receiving my Bachelor's degree from UC Davis, I worked in public service coordinating a paratransit program. I thrived there for years but after having my first child resigned to focus on family and health. Since then I have had an array of personal experiences that have cemented my desire to continue learning and using that knowledge to help others. Homeschooling my children has exposed me to a variety of education styles and furthered my dreams of creating lifelong learners. This has been reinforced by my experience as a substitute teacher, working with students of all ages and abilities. I am especially interested in addressing reading gaps many communities experience, and being a supportive resource for non-native English speakers. My mother is from the Philippines and although she has been here over 40 years she never fully adjusted and in many ways we feel that I raised her instead of the other way around. She was, however, able to learn enough English and take trade school classes to become a night auditor, a career that not only provided her a way to support my brother and me, but was a symbol of her independence after the dissolution of her marriage with my father and ongoing mental health struggles for both of them. My priority was and is to spend my children’s formative years fostering our bond and offering them a stable life full of joy, a scarcity in my own childhood. My children are very active, equal parts curious and passionate about the world around them, and overall thriving, so I have no regrets. In my time away from higher education I have battled autoimmune disorder and various health issues, survived the grief of losing my father to a violent crime, been a devoted parent and caregiver for elderly relatives, assisted my mother with her hoarding and made plans to have her move in with us, instilled my love of the outdoors in children, trained in martial arts, and volunteered to serve my community in various capacities including the local animal shelter and our charter school’s Parent Council/Governing Board. It is time to explore the goal previously placed on the back burner - obtaining a Master's Degree in Education/Teaching Credential. I would be an excellent candidate because I have a sincere desire to help people, and my nontraditional path to this goal has not only enriched my life, but enforced my passion to serve my community in a higher capacity. With some assistance, both financial and physical, I look forward to finding the “imbalance that works.” My children understand and admire my goal, and while the next year may be chaotic and give me need to temporarily pause some of the less necessary duties and activities, I am confident that my organizational, planning, and time management skills, combined with the support of family and friends and a flexible program, will enable me to continue being the best mother I can be while still furthering my education.