Woodrow Wilson High - Long Beach, CA

University of California - Santa Barbara

California Lutheran University

Sra. Martín

Azores Islands

Azorean Recipes

Colombian Recipes

Colombian Tourism

I am a first generation American, I was born in Queens, New York and raised in Long Beach, California. My father was born in Faial which is located in the Azores Island of Horta (a dependency of Portugal). My mother was born in Choachi near Santa Fé de Bogotá, Colombia (South America). They met in New York got married.  I grew up with mom, dad, little brother, Avolita (Portuguese Avô + Spanish Abuelita), Madrinha, Padrinho, Titia Virginia, Tio Antonio (in actually the last four were my – grand aunts & uncles / tios avós).

I have always known I wanted to be a teacher since elementary school.  I even wrote it in my 6^th grade yearbook.  I graduated from Long Beach Wilson High - the Freedom Writer’s school in 1987.  Most of my family still lives Long Beach.  My mom, my brother and his wife and have a cute little boy named Joey (my dad passed away in 2020).

 I attended the University of California Santa Barbara where I got my BA in Spanish 1992. I received a teaching credential from California Lutheran University. I returned to UCSB to get a Master of Arts in Spanish Linguistics in 1999. 

I had two adorable bunnies named Pan and Dale (my little Roy bunny who is in most of the pictures passed away in June 2007).   Now I have new bunnies Pearl and Lance.

I love to cook, crochet and tat which is how I used to pass the time with my Avolita Maria Amelia and my Madrinha Florinda.