I earned bachelor's and master's degrees in English Literature from the University of Lousiana at Lafayette and have completed additional graduate work in higher educational administration at the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University. I spent the 14 years prior to 2004 as an academic administrator and returned to the classroom, my first love, in 2004.

During fall semester 2006-2007, a Seminole Campus Math professor (Mrs. Lisa Borzewski), a Reading professor (Mrs. Patricia Smith), and I collaborated to combine instruction in Math, Reading, and Writing for students testing into all three college preparatory areas on the placement test.  By the end of that semester, all the students involved in the project  passed their classes (none dropped out!); indeed all were still enrolled and thriving at the college over a year later, and the students began graduating from SPC in the Summer of 2008. 

Much of material that makes up my Writing courses was developed during that semster and was added to from January throuh December 2007 thanks to funding from a U.S. Department of Education Title III grant.  Professor Juan Flores from our Tarpon Springs Campus developed most of the "rhetorical" (i.e.  writing and reasoning methods) materials while I developed most of the grammar, vocabulary, and synthesis materials (By the way, these materials are now available online to all teachers of Basic Writing at St. Petersburg College). I continue to refine, update, and (hopefully) improve the online course material.

You'll notice when you get up and rolling in the course, that vocabulary and reading play important parts as do many applied math examples used throughout the course.  Why?  Because it's not really possible to isolate basic skills.  In other words, you can't write without reading and you can't analyze and synthesize without at least some math!

The bottom line?  While you're learning about and practicing grammar and writing skills this semester, I'll be learning from you about what works, what doesn't,  what to change, and what to keep.  Something tells me that you're going to teach me as much or more than I'm going to teach you...just on different topics.   We're all in this together!  I can hardly wait to get started.

Hopefully you can tell already that I love and want to help students.  My 25+ years at SPC as both an administrator and a teacher have taught me to believe in  you!  I know what you can do if you just work  at it.  This course can truly change your life for the better---forever!