Throughout my life, I have toyed with the idea of embarking on a number of career paths.  As a child, I wanted to be a doctor, but soon realized that the demands of courses like Organic Chemistry and Calculus were less than suited to my abilities and interests!  For a long time I thought that I would enjoy working in an art musuem, or as a college professor, but decided that these pursuits were too solitary and specialized to suit my personality and talents.  I love history and always have, since I was very young.  It is the one subject that I have always found extremely compelling, and I feel that I could never fully satisfy my intellectual curiousity where historical topics are concerned.  Beyond learning about history for my own enjoyment, I love to talk with others about it, and feel most rewarded when I can share my knowledge and enthusiasm with others. 

    Coupled with my love of history is my love of helping others learn.  As a tutor in high school and college, I felt deeply rewarded by experiences I had working with students and helping them accomplish academic goals.  I also felt working with students gave me the unique opportunity to share my love of learning with others, and at times, even helped students to discover and pursue their own academic interests and passions.  My commitment to the value of education is something I have always held dear and always will.  I think every child is entitled to an excellent education, regardless of their socio-economic background, culture or ethnicity, or anything else.  Education truly belongs to everyone, and given my passion for instilling a love for learning in others, I decided that a career as an educator would be a rewarding and fulfilling professional endeavor for me. 

    As a teacher, I hope to encourage my students' passions and enthusiams for learning as well.  I hope to engage students with different abilities and different learning styles in learning experiences that are exciting and rewarding for them.  I hope to inspire students to become thoughtful, engaged, and knowledgable citizens, and to believe in their own potential to affect the world in positive, important ways.  I also hope to encourage students to have open-minds and open-hearts, and to do everything they can to help others and create a world where everyone's talents, abilities, and perspectives are valued and celebrated.