I was born in Portland, OR. When I was five years old, my father's work (development consultant) took the family abroad. I attended elementary school in Rome, Italy, and graduated from middle and high schools in Manila, Philippines. I attended Wilmington College, OH graduating with a B.A. in Philosophy and Peace Education. I then spent two years teaching at a small school in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Returning to the United States, I completed my Master's degree at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ with a M.A.T. (Master of Arts in Teaching) in Philosophy for Children. I have been teaching for over 35 years, and have been at my current school in southern California since September 1994. I also served for fourteen years on the school board at another area school where I had previously taught for three years.