First let me say thank you for taking the time to read my bio page and learn a little more about me. This is my sixth year teaching, sixth year with Geometry and fourth with Algebra 1. My journey to becoming a teacher started when I graduated high school in 98'. I went off to college thinking I would become a mathematician and then either continue with math or become a math teacher. That was shortly dissolved when during a math class my sophomore year I had a horrible experience with my second math professor. This professor was also the head of the math department so I would need to take his class far more times then I was willing. This interaction with him made me stray away from math and I became lost and without purpose. The one shining light that my first college gave me was that it gave me rugby. When I transferred to Western Washington University my Sophomore year I found a brotherhood I desperately needed in their rugby team. I felt like I was part of something and I felt as if people cared for me. I still struggled academically because of emotional hardship, but I finally chose my major during my Junior year of college. (Engineering) I completed a planned out four year degree in two and half years taking very large class loads. By the time I graduated in 2004 I had completed over 220 college credits, changed my major 3 times, was selected to the Northwest region Select Rugby Team (The loggers, 4 times) and selected as an alternate for the Pacific Coast Select Rugby Team.
With my new degree I headed out into the work force only to find, that with the economy being in the down swing, Engineering jobs were in short supply. Because I had put myself through college working construction I just stuck with that. I worked my way up to Assistant Superintendent for a local Home Builder, but then the housing market dropped and I lost my job. After a short stint working for myself, a friend of mine got me a job working as an Iron Worker and building several story buildings. Being afraid of heights I was hesitant to take the job but I needed to support my family. Within the first few months I hadn't conquered my fear but I become more comfortable with the anxiety. I worked for the company for 2 years before I started coaching rugby in the Kent area, and it was after the first few months of coaching I realized that this is where I wanted to be, helping young adults. I felt a connection with my players and I was able to help change their lives for the better. One of the other coaches was a high school social studies teacher and he told me I would be a natural at teaching. So that's when I decided to become a teacher. I worked 70+ hours a week doing construction while taking my online classes at night and in a few years I graduated with my Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix. I was in the classroom 7 months later.
My life has had many ups and downs, from being a stand out student athlete at Issaquah High School to becoming someone I'm not at CWU, to finding myself and my wife at WWU, to playing rugby in Australia, to taking the Kent Crusaders back to being state champs, and now to being a high school math teacher. These are the positive influences in my life that have helped me find who I truly am and find the man that I can be proud of being. And now that I have recently become a father and I hope that some day I will make my son proud. I want nothing more then to help my students grow as a people so if there are questions I can answer, discussions I can have, anything that you can think of, I'd like to help. Let's have a fantastic school year and learn to try and be the best versions of ourselves that we can.
With my new degree I headed out into the work force only to find, that with the economy being in the down swing, Engineering jobs were in short supply. Because I had put myself through college working construction I just stuck with that. I worked my way up to Assistant Superintendent for a local Home Builder, but then the housing market dropped and I lost my job. After a short stint working for myself, a friend of mine got me a job working as an Iron Worker and building several story buildings. Being afraid of heights I was hesitant to take the job but I needed to support my family. Within the first few months I hadn't conquered my fear but I become more comfortable with the anxiety. I worked for the company for 2 years before I started coaching rugby in the Kent area, and it was after the first few months of coaching I realized that this is where I wanted to be, helping young adults. I felt a connection with my players and I was able to help change their lives for the better. One of the other coaches was a high school social studies teacher and he told me I would be a natural at teaching. So that's when I decided to become a teacher. I worked 70+ hours a week doing construction while taking my online classes at night and in a few years I graduated with my Masters in Education from the University of Phoenix. I was in the classroom 7 months later.
My life has had many ups and downs, from being a stand out student athlete at Issaquah High School to becoming someone I'm not at CWU, to finding myself and my wife at WWU, to playing rugby in Australia, to taking the Kent Crusaders back to being state champs, and now to being a high school math teacher. These are the positive influences in my life that have helped me find who I truly am and find the man that I can be proud of being. And now that I have recently become a father and I hope that some day I will make my son proud. I want nothing more then to help my students grow as a people so if there are questions I can answer, discussions I can have, anything that you can think of, I'd like to help. Let's have a fantastic school year and learn to try and be the best versions of ourselves that we can.