I grew up in Pennsylvania (New Cumberland), but I have lived in the U.S. states of New York (Rochester), Wisconsin (Madison), Kentucky (Bowling Green), and in Spain (Madrid, Salamanca, and Valencia). My undergraduate studies in Spanish and K-12 education combined with my graduate studies in second language acquisition and language teaching methodology provided me with the training necessary to be able to teach both Spanish and EFL. 

While the majority of my experience has been teaching Spanish language and linguistics in institutes of higher education, while living in Spain for six years, I gained hands-on experience teaching English to students at the elementary, middle/high school, and university level. During my time in Spain, I created and taught an intensive Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) preparation course for students at ESIC Business and Marketing School. Also, while working for four years as an English teacher for the British Council, I taught pre-intermediate, intermediate, and advanced English courses and specialized preparation courses for Cambridge's First Certificate in English (FCE) and Advanced Certificate in English (CAE) exams to groups of students who ranged in age from 6 to 60-plus years old, as my daily teaching schedule always included an elementary, middle- or high-school, and adult group of learners. 

I have also worked in international education with a focus on academic programming and student success. In my role of Director for International Student Progress at Western Kentucky University, I led the university's commitment to the successful transition and academic readiness of their international student population. Specifically, I directed the WKU Pathway, a first-year academic program that creates a cultural and academic bridge for international students into degree programs. In addition, I began to develop a new university-administered Intensive English Program (IEP).