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| Donna Dearborn |
Donna Dearborn, who teaches Intermediate High and Advanced level ESL, is now teaching the GED class. Donna attended Santa Monica College and received her Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA, and later her teaching credential from CSUN. In addition, she attended graduate school for two years in pursuit of a degree in Chinese Medicine.
Early on, Ms. Dearborn served as Graduate Counselor in the Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese at UCLA, which was an exciting and rewarding experience. In 2001, she started working as an English consultant, offering editing and language instruction in the business community.
Her initial years with CVUSD were with Westlake High School, as their ESL teacher from 1991 to 1995. When she began teaching adults in 1995, she was given the opportunity to mentor F-1 Visa International Students and to oversee their transition to Moorpark College. The Advanced Writing class, which she both designed and taught for 13 years, helped bridge the gap between ESL and the needs of college students. She also created and taught Business English classes for many years, offered through CVAE Community Service. |
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"I am pleased to be part of this dedicated staff and immensely helpful program, which serves as a very important step in the lives of those adults in our community who have identified English acquisition as an essential key to their future. I meet highly educated and professional people whose only limitation is English. They desperately need what our school can provide--English as a Second Language instruction.
Many of my former students complete the GED or go directly to Moorpark College with adult school being their greatest lifetime schooling experience prior to moving on. Most are able to get better jobs as a direct result of improving their language skills, and many become U.S. citizens after learning English with us. It’s rewarding for me to serve my community in this way. The teachers at adult school become the image of Americans to many newcomers, and these immigrants are very grateful to find such caring, helpful, and professional teachers at CVAE."
Ms. Dearborn is the proud mother of two sons. Ben, who is a musician and songwriter attending Moorpark College, plans to transfer to a music school. Gabe, age 22, a classically trained chef at Le Cordon Bleu, has excelled as the Executive Chef of The Canyon in Malibu for 2 ½ years.
Donna is passionate about health, the environment, exercise, nutrition, and organic farming. Her students will hear pointers on maintaining their good health and suggestions on what to avoid as much as what to embrace. "We can all make appropriate choices as long as we are provided with the knowledge that much of our welfare depends on our own doing." She believes we must take responsibility to help ourselves, others, and planet Earth. |
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| Irene Freeman |
Irene Freeman has worked at Adult Ed since 1989, where she has taught every level of ESL, including TOEFL preparation. She graduated from Thousand Oaks High School (and was a classmate of Mike Waters, Adult School Principal!), then attended UCLA where she earned a B.A. in English. She subsequently received her Master’s in English at Cal State University, Northridge.
Irene’s career started with a two-year Peace Corps-sponsored English teaching commitment in Morocco. She then taught ESL at a private school in Santa Monica for one year, after which she taught ESL to French businessmen at a community college in Liverpool, England. While there, she received the Royal Society of Arts certificate.
After returning to the U.S., she settled in Thousand Oaks with her British husband, Ray, who had given up his practice as a lawyer to be a banker in the States. They had three children—two sons, currently in college, and one daughter, now post-collegiate. |
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At Adult Ed, Irene trains the tutors who work with students by imparting methodology of teaching, giving them advice, and showing them what materials to use with their tutees. She also assists students in their endeavor to learn to read English, testing them on their progress.
Irene greatly enjoys working with foreign students and loves the camaraderie of her colleagues. As one might guess, she loves every aspect of the English language, and belongs to a book club. She likes to read and write fiction, and even had a short story published in a university magazine years ago. Additionally, she is quite fond of going out for high tea. |
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Sheila Brayer |
Sheila Brayer was born in Newark, New Jersey. When she was thirteen, her family moved to Union, NJ. She earned her B.A. in Education from Newark State College. She attended the State University of New York where she received her reading credential. She also earned a Master's degree in Education of Econonics from the University of Delaware.
Her first teaching postion was in Brigantine, NJ, just outside of Atlantic City. After moving to Thousand Oaks in 1984, she taught at Westlake Elementary School for eight years. She moved over to Banyan Elementary School and remained there two years, then transferred to Colina.
Ms. Brayer has two sons, currently living in Santa Barbara. She enjoys gardening and antique shopping. |
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| Sean McDonald |
Life is full of demands for adaptation and transitions along the road to success. Helping students to meet those challenges is Sean MacDonald, instructor for the Bridge to College program's Critical Reading course. He makes it his mission to prepare them for college-level reading assignments by assisting them in developing their comprehension and vocabulary, and teaching them study skills, goal setting and time management techniques.
An alumnus of Conejo Valley schools, Sean went on to attend Moorpark College followed by Cabrillo Jr. College in Santa Cruz, which provided a change of scenery and an opportunity for him to develop a sense of independence. Spreading his wings lead to a hiatus and subsequent move to the Marshall Islands for 1½ years. Upon his return, he enrolled at UC Santa Cruz in the Community Project Planning program, doing his fieldwork at group homes for delinquent youth as well as juvenile hall. Sean eventually earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Community Studies.
His postgraduate activities included working at a number of non-public schools with students who had severe special needs followed by a move to Mexico, where he lived for a while. When he returned, he eventually met his wife Michelle, who was working with his mother, then a District teacher. She was his inspiration to go into the field of education which he proceeded to do after 3 years of study earning a Masters degree and acquiring a teaching credential in General and Special Education through National University. Additionally, he is certificated to teach in multiple subjects as well as possessing an administrative credential earned through the state.
Since the time he worked in youth homes, Sean has been drawn to working with students grappling with various life challenges. "I really get personal satisfaction from watching these students' academic and personal growth," he says. That interest lead to his working as a resource program specialist for 9 years at a number of different schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District including Sutter Middle School in Canoga Park where he also served for several years as the dean of students.
Desiring to work closer to his Conejo Valley home, Sean made the transition, was hired at Redwood Middle School as a resource specialist/modified curriculum teacher, and served as the special education department chairperson for three of his first four years at the school. He transferred to Thousand Oaks High School, where he instructed in the special education curriculum during all periods of the school day. His expertise and talents were needed back at Redwood, where he works with special education students, teaching the Basic Math classes. Sean's wife, Michelle, also teaches at Redwood and Adult School.
Sean enjoys playing his bass guitar among other instruments as a part-time musician in several different bands. He performs in various venues, mostly in the L.A. area. The family's Ventura beach house provides a launching point for surfing, where he catches some waves at the local beach. Sean and Michelle like the challenge of navigating the terrain when they go mountain biking.
It was Sean's years of experience as an educational specialist in addition to his ability to break down subject matter into its essential components for easy consumption and effectively communicate those ideas that made him a natural choice for the position in the newly established Bridge to College program in fall 2011. If you can read this, or better yet college-level material, thank a teacher like Sean MacDonald. His students come away from the course with confidence, equipped with the skills needed to navigate the pages of the written word, enabling them to turn over a new "leaf." Indeed, that speaks volumes for taking this beneficial course--a means to a successful "bridge" to the future. Talk about transitions... |
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Interviews by B. Kane.
Articles by B. Kane & E. Kane |
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| Staff Spotlight |
More testimonials in these programs:
ESL Student Spotlight | ESL Staff Spotlight | ESLSpecial Events |
| General Classes | HS Diploma | Literacy Center | Medical | Computer |
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| Laura Cifuentes |
It was destiny for Laura Cifuentes, ESL instructor, to enter the teaching profession.
It all began at age 14. Experiencing some difficulties with her Spanish class in school. she agreed to accompany her mother, Ruth, to Conejo Valley Adult School, where mom was employed. Working as a classroom aide and being immersed in the curriculum helped Laura strengthen her Spanish language skills, and she passed her class with flying colors. This was the inspirational spark that eventually led her on the journey to her future career.
Laura received her Bachelor's degree with a major in Spanish and minor in English from California Lutheran University. Subsequently, she moved to Guatemala where, through coursework taken at the American School there, she earned a Master's degree in education from Framingham College (the U.S.'s first teacher's college) in a program involving a special agreement between the two institutions. While working on her degree in Guatemala, she taught high school English for 8 years. The total-immersion experience of having lived and worked in a Spanish-speaking country really helped to solidify Laura's facility with the language. That and her educational preparation would be brought into play as she entered the teaching profession.
After returning to the states, Laura was hired by Los Cerritos Middle School, where for 2 years she taught ESL, English, Social Studies and remedial Reading. Concurrently, she was teaching ESL at the Adult School for 6 years before she took a hiatus, returning in 1995 to continue her teaching career.
In working with the students in her day and evening Level 4 Intermediate /High classes, Laura helps them to master their English-language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking, all of which prepare them to take the GED or go on to Moorpark College. In addition to her instructional role, she is in charge of developing curriculum and setting up the EL Civics testing, and as a mentor, helps the other teachers use technology in their classrooms to improve their teaching.
Laura says she just loves the students she works with. "They come in every night, thirsty for the language and grateful for their teachers. They're such interesting people, with different beliefs and cultures. It's like going on vacation and traveling every day." The fact that her students come back to class voicing their appreciation for lessons she taught them that made their lives easier makes it all worth the effort.
Raul, Laura's husband of 8 years, whom she met in Guatemala while attending school there, works in the production lab at Baxter Pharmaceutical and is working on an MBA at CLU. They have 2 children--4-year-old Mario, who attends pre-school and Ana, 1½, both of who have a close relationship with "Nana," Laura's mom, who is their frequent babysitter. Between mom and grandma, perhaps there's another generation of teachers in the works?
Some of Laura's favorite leisure-time activities include traveling, camping, baking and reading, especially mystery novels. She's certainly well-traveled, having sojourned to Spain, Italy, England, Germany, Holland and almost all of the countries in Latin America.
From the days as her mother's classroom aide all the way to a teaching career of more than two decades after traveling the globe, Laura has come full circle to benefit and enrich the lives of new generations of international students who pass through her classroom on their own journeys toward a better life. |
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| Amy Montaño |
Amy Montaño has been an ESL instructor at Adult School for one year. She currently teaches Beginning Literacy. She greatly enjoys meeting students that come to Adult Ed from a vast array of countries. She also likes working with her colleagues.
Amy holds an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Oxnard College, a B.A. in History from Cal State Northridge, and a single-subject teaching credential in Social Science from Cal Lutheran University. She is currently earning her Master's degree in Education at Cal Lutheran.
In her free time, Amy enjoys traveling, seeing movies with her family, camping, and bowling. |
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| Alejandra Hernandez |
Alejandra Hernandez, once a student in our ESL program, is a happy-ever-after success story, now holding a multi-faceted position as a Program Specialist in the department. She works collaboratively with colleague Maya Brandenburg in registering new and continuing students, administering the CASAS testing program for student placement, grading the students' EL Civics exams, preparing forms for CASAS and TOPSPro reports, as well as performing a variety of data entry tasks related to those program areas and utilizing her expert skills as a translator when called upon.
At Mexico's Universidad de Juarez, Alejandra majored in Accounting and earned her Bachelor's degree in Administration and Accounting. While still in college and having (admittedly) little work experience for the job to which she applied, she made such an impression and was subsequently hired in the human resources department of a large manufacturer of bedspreads, quilts, sportswear and baby clothing. As time went on, she expressed an interest in applying her quantitative skills, and after 2 years of working with personnel matters, Alejandra was transferred to the payroll department where she was eventually promoted to overseeing its operations. Her speedy ascent to a supervisory position was achieved because of the willingness of her employer to give her an opportunity to gain experience, upon which she proceeded to follow up with conscientiousness and a strong work ethic.
After employment in that capacity for some 6 years, Alejandra relocated to the United States with her husband as a result of a company job transfer to their Agoura location. Settling into their new home of Westlake Village, it wasn't long before Alejandra, who wished to improve her language skills, started taking English classes at the Adult School. Starting in Beginning Literacy, within 2½ years she progressed to the Advanced Level 5.
Just before finishing the program, she was interviewed by the school district's ESL director, and 3 weeks later was hired as an instructional assistant at Manzanita Elementary, where she worked for 4 years. During this time, an evening position in the Adult School ESL department became available, and Alejandra jumped at the opportunity. Starting in September 1998, she had only taken time off when her children were born. When she returned to her evening working hours, her husband stayed home with the kids and played "Mr. Mom."
There is a lot about Alejandra's current job that she finds gratifying, especially having experienced language acquisition education from the student perspective. "Because I was once studying here at the Adult School, it's really so good when I see our students learning English and becoming successful."
Juan, Alejandra's husband of 16 years, is a software engineer with an IBM-owned company. Both children, 8-year-old son Josue, a 3rd grader, and Isabella, age 6 and in 1st grade, attend Westlake Hills Elementary. Family-related activities plays a big part in Alejandra's life. In the after-school hours, she's busy transporting her aspiring soccer players to their respective practices and games, cheering for them on the sidelines. Friday evenings are designated as "family movie night" whereby Josue and Isabella get to take turns each week selecting the viewing fare, which is usually suited to their own age-related tastes. On occasion, Alejandra and Juan venture out to the theater to catch a movie that they like or might rent something to watch at home. Activities such as quilting and sewing are pursuits she finds relaxing, therapeutic, as well as rewarding to round out her busy schedule.
As a result of the opportunities that came her way and the chances she had to prove herself, Alejandra reached her goals with flying colors. Her successful educational, career and personal journey demonstrates that hard work and determination pay off. In this sense, she continues to serve as a role model to the student clientele, and is an important part of the fabric of the ESL program. |
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| Tracy Borkovec |
| (stay tuned for bio...) |
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| 'My students come in... thirsty for the language & grateful for their teachers. ...It's like going on vacation & traveling every day.' |
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| Patricia Chamness |
Patricia Chamness has been an instructor at Adult Ed for 10 years. She is an ESL teacher for GED Math classes.
Patricia currently teaches three evening sessions a week, year-round. Her students are often those who don’t have transportation to Adult School and in some cases need child care, which is accomodated. The class is multi-level and includes both new students and ones Patricia has had for years.
Patricia attended the Krannert School of Business at Purdue University, earning a B.S. and Master’s in Management with an emphasis in Marketing. She started her career in the business field, working with companies and banks in both Illinois and Florida. When she came to California, she concentrated on fundraising work with non-profit institutions, giving presentations for the United Way. Her most recent endeavor has been the completion of the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Program, through which she has earned a preliminary designated subjects adult education teaching credential.
Patricia believes that with the support of Bette Empol and other members of the Adult Ed staff, she has truly been able to positively impact her students.
Patricia’s work with her students beyond class time has led her to the position of facilitator of the Conejo Creek Providers group, which incorporates multiple organizations that collaborate to improve the lives of Conejo Creek residents. Patricia is also involved with the United Way of Ventura County, the National Charity League, and the Assistance League of Conejo Valley. For the past six years, she has served on the Emergency Food and Shelter Board of Ventura County. Having been raised abroad in Caracas, Venezuela, she takes special interest in helping those who face various challenges trying to adapt to a new home country.
Patricia enjoys traveling, serving as a bilingual translator, and exercising. She is married and has 28-year-old twins, a dog, and two cats. |
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| Bernard Calle |
Bernard Calle has been working at Adult Ed since 1999. He has taught Spanish classes at the school, and currently assists six ESL teachers in their classrooms, taking attendance and helping students interact with staff.
Bernard attended college for two years, then spent six years teaching at Catholic University in Medellin, Colombia, South America. He served in the United States Army; worked for Sears in Miami, FLA for 21 years; then at Prudential Insurance Company in Chicago, IL for 10 years.
“Being an immigrant myself, I enjoy helping our students adapt to life in our country,” he says. “It is my way of paying back for all my adopted country has given me.”
Bernard has two daughters, both attorneys, and one son, a Microsoft expert. He also has a 13-year-old granddaughter. |
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| Here is a feature article on Bernie Calle that appeared in the Ventura County Star on May 29, 2006: |
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A 50-year love affair with the U.S.
By Andrea Barkan, Correspondent
America had Bernie Calle at hello. It was 1956. Calle, a 19-year-old Colombian with a resident visa, gazed down at Miami from a plane seat. He saw a lush green landscape and shiny aquamarine canals. "That was my first view of America," said Calle, now 73 and living in Camarillo. 'It was so beautiful."
Calle's American infatuation actually began long before, when he was a child poring over issues of Life and the Saturday Evening Post in Medellin, Colombia.
But even Calle's Life-fueled fantasies couldn't compete with the real thing. "When I came to this country, I was enthralled by it," Calle said.
The order of U.S. society was a welcome respite from Calle's childhood in Colombia's climate of political violence and chaos.
"I was never happy with the life I saw around me," he said. "When I came to the U.S., I saw a society where everything worked. The opportunity! Everything was here for the taking." It was the start of a 50-year love affair that shows no sign of cooling.
Calle courted his new country in an unexpected place: the Army. To get his resident visa, he registered for the draft. Not one year after arriving in Florida, he was drafted.
Calle, who spoke little English, served two years in Germany, leaving his friends and family in Colombia even farther behind.
The army broke him down and built him up.
"It was the most wonderful two years of my life," Called said. "It taught me about America, about loyalty, about love of country. It gave me a sense of pride and a sense of service."
He learned the language and culture of his adopted homeland. He acquired the blocks to build his own American dream.
Calle met his first wife in Germany. After his service ended, they moved to Chicago, married and started a family.
On May 1, 1960, Calle became an American citizen. "That to me was the happiest, proudest day of my life," he said. "I have never had a bad experience in this country. It has never let me down."
But like any love affair, Calle and his American dream had some sleepless nights.
He learned about prejudice, both as a target and an onlooker. His first bus ride in 1956 Miami provided a crash course in segregation, and in Chicago, it got personal.
When Prudential Insurance hired Calle—the company's first Spanish-speaking agent—an Italian-American co-worker immediately confronted him, used a racial epithet and said he would never last. "Instead of letting it make me bitter and disenchanted...it just made me more decided to triumph," Calle said.
A year later, Prudential honored him as its No. 1 sales agent. The company gave him a Rock of Gibraltar desk set. Calle marched to his co-worker's desk and slammed the award down.
The man told Calle that he gave him credit. "We shook hands; he embraced me," Calle said. "From then on, we were the best of friends."
From 1992 through 1998, Calle returned to Colombia and taught English at a private Catholic university, but he never felt at home.
"My heart is not there, even though it is my native country," he said.
Eight years ago, he and his second wife, Luchy Eugenia, settled in Camarillo to be near his two attorney daughters and his 9-year-old granddaughter.
Now Calle draws daily from his decades of experience assimilating into American culture to help new immigrants do the same.
He works for Conejo Valley Adult School, translating during English as a Second Language classes and teaching two sections of Spanish. Two nights a week, he advises immigrants in the English tutoring program about community resources.
"It's difficult for them to adapt to life in this country," Calle said. "That's where I come in. They come to me with all their problems. I channel them to where they need to go."
Calle tells his students that patriotism is vital to successful immigration.
Some say, "'We don't want to be Americans; we don't want to assimilate,' and I think that's wrong," Calle said.
He advises: "The first thing you have to do is learn English, because that's like the magic key.
"You have to love this country," Calle said. "You cannot be ambivalent. You cannot live there and here."
Calle's post-retirement job is a new love in itself. "For the first time in my life...I'm getting the opportunity to give back to this country and help these people adapt to life in this country," Calle said.
"I call the school Shangri-La. I'm getting something out of it that money can't buy." |
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Bette Empol
ESL Coordinator |
Bette Empol joined the CVAS staff in August 1999 as an ESL teacher, and in 2000 became the Community Based English Tutoring (CBET) Coordinator for CVUSD. After teaching ESL for 5 years, Ms. Empol became the ESL Coordinator, and continues to enjoy working with the students and community in both programs. One of her favorite days is in May when the ESL program holds its International Day and celebrates all the different cultures of the students.
Ms. Empol holds a B.A. degree in Rhetoric and Public Address from CSUN, a California elementary teaching credential, and certificates in TESOL and CLAD. Ms. Empol taught middle school in LAUSD and in Oak Park. She came to CVAS after 20 years in the corporate workforce, mostly in sales, and has a background in Human Resources.
Ms. Empol serves as a board member of CATESOL (ESL teachers) as the Socio-Political Coordinator for Adult Schools, Community Colleges, and Universities in California and Nevada. In her spare time she enjoys reading mysteries, baking, Sudoku, playing poker and Mahj Jong.
Most important to Ms. Empol is her family which consists of her long-time boyfriend (who she refers to as her spousal equivalent), three children and their spouses, and her adorable grandson. Last year, Ms. Empol became a grandmother and urges you to stop by her office so she can show you many pictures of her family along with the other love in her life, her cat Chloe. |
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| Karie Lynch |
Karie Lynch has been an instructor at Adult School for 3.5 years, and currently teaches Level 1 ESL and Citizenship. She taught English and ESL at Moorpark High School for seven years.
Karie graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 1997 and earned a Secondary Education teaching credential the following year.
She likes the excitement of watching students become more confident with their language skills and subsequently more active members of the Thousand Oaks community. She also finds it exciting to see students from different cultures using English to communicate with one another and develop friendships.
In her spare time, Karie loves playing tennis, surfing, and hiking with her family. |
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| Michelle Taranto |
| Science is knowledge and knowledge is power, in this case to understand how the natural world works. Enter Michelle Taranto, who joined the Adult School faculty in Fall 2011 to teach the newly established GED Prep Science class. Designed for students with a limited background in the subject area, the course deals with the general concepts of physical and life science as well as standard and and metric measurement, using a variety of investigative methods, including hands-on experiences to enhance the learning process.
Michelle attended UC San Diego, where she majored in Biology and earned her Bachelor's of Science degree. As an undergraduate, she worked at the nearby Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Her employment-related connections eventually lead to postgraduate voyages over the next 1½ years on several research cruises, veritable floating marine laboratories, which took her to such destinations as Tonga, New Zealand and Mexico.
For Michelle, her higher education and real-life experiences engendered an enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge with others. Consequently, she went on to earn her teaching credential though National University to enable her to carry out this mission. After completing her student teaching in Camarillo and at Conejo Valley's Park Oaks Elementary, she was hired at the latter site to teach 6th grade. Two years later, she jumped at the opportunity to teach at Redwood Middle School, where the 6th grade program was being expanded and continues to be a faculty member there. Concurrently, Michelle was enrolled in the Educational Leadership program at Cal State University, Channel Islands, where she received her Master's degree.
Students at the 6th grade level, Michelle observes, are funny, quirky and sweet-natured, yet they're evolving into independent thinkers--a pupa-to-larvae-to-butterfly phenomenon. Through investigation and hands-on activities, she loves to watch them have fun solving problems for themselves through discovery. "I see their enthusiasm when my students enjoy what they're learning, especially at the point the light bulb goes on when they're understanding the material. It's just the greatest feeling."
Michelle's husband Sean is also in education, having worked years ago as a special education teacher in Los Angeles Unified School District and currently in Conejo Valley, at both the middle and high school levels. Additionally, he is the Critical Reading instructor in our Bridge to College evening program.
A break from a busy lifestyle is reflected in Michelle's choice of leisure time activities, of which she enjoys traveling, mountain biking, hiking locally, walking their pit bull Olaf, playing Frisbee and taking in some good reading material, especially on the Kindle. She and her husband look forward to dining out at local restaurants occasionally but also enjoy doing their own cooking at home. A dash of culinary experimentation together with a pinch of kitchen-based chemistry and physics--better eating through the magic of science. Now, there's some food for thought. And that's exactly what Michelle serves up to the students in her classroom. |
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| Lauryl Buckel |
"All roads lead to Rome" holds true for Lauryl Buckel, our ESL instructor who has taught Beginning Literacy, Beginning Vocabulary, Idioms (American expressions) and Citizenship. With her diverse background as a foundation, that destination is really home at the Adult School, the center of her teaching universe.
With an Associate of Arts degree at Valley College, Lauryl moved on to UCLA, where she began as a History major. Concurrently, she ended up taking numerous Psychology and Sociology courses, fascinated with those subjects. She eventually transferred to Cal State University Northridge and earned Bachelor's degrees in those two fields. As a Psychology major, Lauryl's required fieldwork during her last 2 years in colege included working in both public and private psychiatric hospitals as well as the United Cerebral Palsy program where she first learned about Adult Education.
After graduation, her decision to pursue a career in education took Lauryl back to UCLA where she obtained a Ryan Teaching Credential, which enables her to teach designated subjects in the humanities area, such as
English/Language Arts, Social Studies and even Gerontology.
While attending college and continuing for a decade, Lauryl was employed as a sales representative for Chanel, Calvin Klein and Giorgio. Her accounts included various upscale department stores in Beverly Hills and vicinity, where she was in charge of setting up and stocking fragrance department displays and monitoring product inventory.
Lauryl's teaching career began at Rinaldi Street Elementary, working with ESL students. She was eventually hired at the Kennedy/San Fernando High School Adult Education program to teach ESL courses in Advanced English and Citizenship. Rounding out her busy 14-hour-a-day schedule, Lauryl functioned as the activity director for the geriatric clientele at a sanitarium.
Armed with the wisdom of the (adolescent through older adult) ages, Lauryl began working at the Adult School in January 1996, initially as a Learning Center teacher, assisting Concurrent, Adult High School Diploma and GED students with their studies, which she did for 15 years. In addition, she has worked in the school's call center, fielding inquiries about our programs, courses and registration. There was nowhere to go but into a classroom teaching position, where Lauryl has worked educational magic within her four walls. Ongoing, she serves double-duty 2 nights a week administering CASAS testing and registering students.
"I absolutely love teaching and shaping my students' knowledge of the language and culture, opening up the world to them and seeing them blossom and broaden their understanding," says Lauryl, In her Citizenship course, she uses creative techniques, approaching the subject matter like a puzzle, using a historical timeline, along with musical elements. Looking at it objectively, she remarks "This is the type of class that I never had when I was in school, but wished I would've had." Teaching, as she describes it, is effortless and from which she derives much pleasure and gratification. In fact, she feels like she's entertaining her students, all of whom she describes as warm and wonderful. She won the jackpot of sorts when she was awarded the California Lottery's 2003 Exceptional Educator Award, which she received during the Big Spin.
Lauryl's husband Craig, who she met while attending UCLA, is in the advertising field, working for Nielsen Research's trade show division. Her daughter Mary Elizabeth, 10 and sons Christopher, 9 and Patrick, 7 attend school at St. Jude the Apostle.
Her love of genealogy has led Lauryl to tracing her family history and roots through Ancestry.com. She enjoys reading, especially mystery detective stories and anything history-related. Her being a big sports fan, she indulges in watching and cheering on her kids at their respective practices and games. Although Lauryl's a UCLA alum, she's a fan of watching and rooting for USC's football team, as various family members had attended that school. Entertaining is another favorite activity of hers, and she has a good time throwing parties. Around the winter holidays she spends a good deal of time and effort decorating more than a dozen themed Christmas trees with her collection of ornaments.
It is evident from Lauryl's full and varied life experiences that she pursues what comes her way with passion. She brings this enthusiasm, energy and creativity to her classroom, where she serves as an inspiration to her students and helps them along their own path to enlightenment. |
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