Un Poco de mi…

This is my 28th year teaching Spanish, now in Bangkok, Thailand. Previously, I taught at AES New Delhi for 6 years, Zurich, Switzerland for 7 years, in Bremen, Germany for two years before that, and for 10 years in Oregon. Apart from teaching Spanish levels 1-IBHL, I have been a head wrestling coach at AES. I also hold a black belt in Judo which I started to practice in Zurich. I find that there is a great deal in common in Wrestling and Judo, both in moves and fitness, but also in philosophy. I was fortunate enough to have played rugby for 15+ years starting in university and continuing up until we left the US. I still love the game, although my knees don’t allow me to play at the level I would like to.

I started a Language School Homestay study abroad for Spanish students while in Switzerland and was lucky enough to be able to continue that while in India. Here, at KIS in Bangkok, the idea is still to get one going, although because of the distance and time constraints involved in the school, I have not been able to… yet. Students from year 1 to IB HL are encouraged to travel on this trip as they find it fulfilling, inspirational, and enjoyable. It is highly recommended. I started learning Spanish in earnest when I was 14, like many freshmen in high school. I had the opportunity to host a student from Castilla Leon in Spain when I was in 11th grade, and that summer, luckily, I was able to travel to Spain and get a different look at life. Although I considered myself a bit more internationally minded than others around me at the time, I had not traveled outside of the United States. This trip was very eye-opening. I knew then that I wanted to get serious about learning Spanish. The rest, I guess, is history.

Never let anyone tell you it is too late to learn a language fluently or have the proper accent… if you try your hardest, you can succeed at anything.