What do you teach on campus? Intensive Math
What college did you go to? An engineering college in Venezuela called the Santiago Mariño Polytechnic University Institute in Venezuela.
What was your previous job? I was a teacher at Freedom Middle School.
Why do you enjoy teaching? Why did you decide to pursue this career? I chose this career when I moved to America because there is change in America. I was an engineer in petroleum in Venezuela. I have a daughter who inspired me and I am good at math. I like to make learning easy and exciting for my students. I apply real world problems to my math.
What is your best memory from teaching? When I moved from one school to another and my students were crying and made me cards because they didn’t want me to leave.
What does a typical weekend look like? I have a family, I am a proud mom of a daughter at a university and a husband. We go out to eat on either Saturday or Sunday and we do chores.
Describe your teaching style. We start with a warm up, and I try and use real-world problems. I used a roller coaster for slopes and the students were super excited. We do group learning first then break out into small groups and collaborative groups.
If you could eat at one restaurant for the rest of your life where would it be and why? Either Carrabbas or Buca Di Beppo. At Bucca Di Beppo I get the chopped salad and some type of pasta dish. I love seafood so the pasta usually has seafood. Italian food is my favorite.
What are your favorite sports teams? I am a big soccer fan, so Barcelona. I also like Orlando City because I know some of the players.
How do you motivate your students to become active learners in the classroom? I bring deeper thinking questions and give out prizes. I do competitions of three teams and give out snacks for winners. They get really motivated.
What interests do you pursue outside of the classroom? I love to go to the beach. I also really like to cook and walk around my neighborhood.
What is the greatest challenge you have overcome? Moving from Venezuela to the United States. I did not know English, and I had to change my career choice. We moved here to get a better opportunity for work.
If you could go back and pursue another career, what would you do and why? I would become an engineer again. But my main goal in America is to teach at UCF.
What is your favorite quote? “My classroom is a place where giving up is not a choice.” I have it written on my board.