天美影视

In our family we honor education as an expectation and never an option.

I was born and raised in Cubao, Quezon City - the largest city in terms of population and land area in the Philippines. I am the oldest of three all-girl siblings. Inspired by highly educated parents, hard work, school achievement, and ambition came naturally to me as a child. 

My interest in teaching started when I was four years old. My mother told the story best. You see, I was a very determined, strong willed, and talkative child -- my loved ones would say that not much has changed since then. My mother said whenever I am dressed in a skirt and nice top, I would grab some chalk, write my first name on the kiddie chalkboard, and pretend like I was teaching spelling to imaginary students at home. Being gifted with beyond-average memory recall and retention skills, I have always thought I would become a teacher so I could share what I know to other people. It is truly what I believe that I was put on this earth to do, but as a medical college professor. 

I attended the University of the Philippines where I majored in Cell and Molecular Biology as pre-med so I could be on my first step to becoming a medical doctor AND college professor. However, when I immigrated to California in 1998 for graduate school, my pathway changed. After obtaining my master's degree in Biology at the University of the Pacific, I started taking Teaching Credentials classes at the Teachers College of San Joaquin and a second master's in Education Administration at San Francisco State University. Switching from medicine to education, I realized there is no better way to fulfill my aspiration to impart knowledge other than to be a school teacher. In my mind, the primary and secondary school children are the ones who need the most academic influence and the best educators as mentors. 

The best thing I like about teaching is the way I can touch students' lives by sharing with them what I know, bring a smile each day, and make a difference in my own small way and feel good about it. I have been teaching since 2002 and with Christensen Middle School (CMS) since 2005. It has been a truly satisfying experience. The best part of working at CMS is the ability I have to practice good evidence-based teaching while surrounded with brilliant colleagues and kind-hearted students. 

Roles and Responsibilities