Spanish Teacher
Know Your Pelicans
What is your favorite thing about Packer?
I like the diversity of the student body. I've had students whose families are from Brazil, Germany, Italy, Senegal, India, Egypt, and many other countries. I believe that diversity enhances the educational experiences of everyone involved because we learn about each other's backgrounds and perspectives.
Describe a favorite or memorable moment during your time at Packer.
Last Spring, my Spanish 2 students had to create advertising campaigns for an app they made up. I was deeply impressed with the thoughtfulness and creativity of their app ideas. They went all-out in their presentations too, designing their own logos and shooting commercials.
Name a work of art, literature, music, or film that you hold dear and explain its influence on you.
The most impactful moment in literature for me comes from Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban. In it, Harry faces a group of dementors but waits for his father to come in and save him. At the last minute, he realizes he has to save himself. It made me see that sometimes you have to pull that inner strength from yourself and not rely on others in order to face personal challenges like anxiety, depression, and self-doubt, which I believe the dementors personify.
What is something that most Packer people wouldn't know about you?
I'm an up-and-coming geek fashion model. (For the uninformed, geek fashion includes clothing that references pop culture, like comic books and video games.) I'm also passionate about one day producing the first major TV show with a gay black protagonist on a streaming network like Netflix. I graduated with a degree in film from the University of Texas but felt discouraged from pursuing a career in entertainment. At the time, I saw few queer or people of color in the field. Things have changed since then. I believe now is the time for our voices to be heard and our stories to be told in this Golden Age of TV.