Introducing Yourself

Let me tell you a little about myself.

I was born and raised in Minnesota and I'm a native of the city of Saint Paul. I grew up there with my parents and my eight brothers and two sisters. I'm the eleventh child so you could say I'm the baby of the family, but I swear I wasn't spoiled.

That's right, I'm part of a big family, probably the biggest family in the neighborhood, perhaps the biggest family in the state!

I had a happy childhood, for the most part. My father and mother didn't have a lot of money, but because they both worked hard, we never felt deprived.

I wasn't much interested in sports, like my brothers were. I enjoyed reading and listening to music while growing up. I went to grade school near my house, and then to high school about two miles away from our home.

After graduating from high school, I went on to the University of Minnesota for my bachelor's degree. It took me a while to learn the ropes at the university, but I finally graduated about six years later. Better late than never, as my father used to say.

I then went to Mexico for a couple of years to teach English and to study Spanish. When I returned, I decided to become a teacher, so I went back to school to get my master's degree. After teaching high school for a few years, I was offered a job in California, so I moved to Los Angeles in 1991. After working here for a few years, I went back to school (again!) to get my Ph.D. I was starting to become a professional student.

Well, I completed my Ph.D. in four years and then taught at the university for several years. Now I work at a small research organization here in Los Angeles. I am happily married, and I still enjoy reading and listening to music, and of course, creating ESLPod.com lessons.