What colleges/universities did you graduate from and what degrees did you receive from each?

I began at the University of Florida where I studied foreign languages and education, then onto The San Francisco Conservatory of Music where I earned a Bachelor of Arts, then onto the University of Houston where I earned a Master of Music Education, and finally, the University of St. Thomas for Masters work in Education specializing in urban school districts.

What do you teach?

I currently teach Spanish 2 and Beginning and Intermediate French. I have also taught Spanish 1, Spanish 2 and AP Spanish here at La Salle.

What other roles/responsibilities do you have on campus?

I am currently the AP Coordinator and am the faculty sponsor of the Green Teens recycling club, and the French Honors Society. I also help out with Music of the Masses and occasionally assist the drama and music departments.

How many years have you been at La Salle?

Going on five years.

What was your career before coming to La Salle?

I have been a language and music teacher since 2003. I was also a contract singer with the LA Philharmonic, a regular staff singer with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and have sung on movie soundtracks. I have also performed dozens of operas, oratorios, and musicals as a professional and currently work as a pianist/singer and have music-directed shows; I stepped away from full-time singing in 2018.

What drew you to working at La Salle?

My family has a long Lasallian history. My father was a graduate of La Salle Habana in Cuba and when he went onto medical school in Spain he was so advanced he was given credit for three years of study. You could say that La Salle is in my DNA and my father passed on to me many of the things he learned as a Lasallian.

What is your favorite thing about teaching at La Salle?

The people. The students are remarkable. They are kind, smart, generous, respectful, creative, fun, and most of all, super interesting and unique. The faculty and staff are equally wonderful and a joy to work with.

Do you have a favorite memory or favorite alumni class?

I don't have a favorite class or year, but I keep most every project and assignment that students turn in through the years and I store them at school or on my hard drive; I love to go back and look at them over the years to remember the creative and fun things we have done together.

What are your hobbies/interests outside of La Salle?

I love to work on old cars and drive them around, I love to take pictures with my many cameras, collect wristwatches, travel, try fine foods, learn new cultures, ask lots of questions, read voraciously in multiple languages, and I never stop studying.

If you were a student at La Salle today, which current clubs, activities, or organizations would you be a part of?

I would be involved in fine arts, I was always terrible at sports, but I would try to do that here at La Salle. When I was in high school I never felt there was a "place" for everyone to go, but here at La Salle there is a place for everyone. For instance, French is such a beautiful and exacting language it helps you to become organized and to develop a different sensibility. As the great philosopher said: "a new language is a new life."