Maybe having a bit of information about where I went to school and received my degrees, as well as where I have taught, might also help eliminate some anxiety when taking one of my courses.
Without giving any dates, I will tell you that I attended high school in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated 9th in a class of 600 plus, not bad for a young Cuban girl who had learned the language as she went along. Actually, everybody knows that kids learn languages and assimilate into new cultures much more easily than adults, and I must also add that my experiences in schools in Kansas City were nothing but nurturing and encouraging.
As part of my undergraduate work, I attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Fayetteville Community College (NC), then graduated with high honors from North Carolina State University.
My graduate school experience began at the University of California in Pennsylvania. No, it's not a typing error; there is such a place. The local lore has it that western migrants got as far as the hills of Western PA, south of Pittsburgh, and decided that was far enough, so they called the site their California. Anyway, the school began as a teacher preparatory institution, much like MTSU, and grew into a full-fledged university. I received my Master's Degree in English with high honors from that wonderful school.
After a long break, probably longer than most of you are old (well, it seems that long!), during which I was teaching and raising my family, I began work on my terminal degree at Middle Tennessee State University. It took me four years to complete the requirements, and the end result was my Doctorate of Arts in English. During my stint as a doctoral candidate, I was honored by the MTSU faculty with the prestigious Peck Award and was inducted into the Phi Kapa Phi Honor Society. That brings you to the present as it concerns my education.
In terms of teaching experience, except for a couple of years at the high school level in Newport News, Virginia, I have always taught English at institutions of higher education. I find working at this level affords me the luxury of presenting material, exchanging ideas, and motivating students without having to fight student discipline for the privilege. It has been my pleasure to work with students at several institutions: Temple University (TX), Big Bend Community College (TX), Hopkinsville Community College (KY), Murray State University (KY), and since 1992, Middle Tennessee State University (TN).
Until recently, my work at MTSU had been focused primarily on Lower Division courses--Freshman and Sophomore level. This was a wonderful niche for me because I love what I do. It fits my sense of purpose to try to inspire students to appreciate and become successful in the areas of beginning composition and literature. My work in both areas and my interest in using technology in the classroom has yielded two courses: CAI Portfolio English 1010, a first-semester writing course taught in the computer assisted-classroom, and Online English 2030, the first online intro to lit course offered by the Department. In addition to these Lower Division courses, I also teach Engl 4510/5510, Modern Grammar and Usage, English 3500, Applied Writing, and a the newly developed Engl 3365, Hispanic Writers in American Literature (website in progress).
