My “official” bio is already posted on the course website, under About the Instructor. [This entry is part of Week 01 series “Biographies” in HIS 3626 – Fall 2022.]

My parents immigrated from Costa Rica to the U.S. in 1968. My mom finished 6th grade, and father 11th grade. They worked blue-collar jobs, and struggled to make ends meet. Thankfully, when we moved to NC in 1991, I learned about the NC Teaching Fellows scholarship—a full-ride scholarship to participating colleges and universities. This was a true blessing, it opened up doors for me as a first-generation Latino student, placed almost zero financial burden on my family, and helped me pursue a career in teaching … with a few unexpected adventures (hello semester abroad in London, England) while studying at Elon College, now Elon University.

With my wife and two children (a freshman in college, a junior in high school), I enjoy traveling, watching films (mostly comic-book movies these days), playing with our dog, reading, and maintaining some sanity while viewing soccer matches. We are active with ESL classes and other activities for the Spanish-speaking community in Boone, at our church (ABF), and usually making pit stops at the many awesome local coffee roasters in the High Country.