My early education stemmed from the streets of Minneapolis where I embraced the counter culture of skateboarding.   It was a special time as my education largely took place outside of school.  I got the opportunity to see a different side of life and meet people who, unknowingly, would have a profound impact on my future.

I moved to California in March of 1999 to continue skateboarding and retreat from the brutal winters of Minnesota.   At this point I had been out of high school for two years and had been working at NorthWest Airlines to support myself. During this time I discovered a couple good books that transformed the way I saw the world. I was on the path to discovering many new ideas and interests.

I enrolled in community college where I found a passion for mathematics and the sciences. After three years, I transferred to UCSD to study physics. During my time there I made several life-long friends, built an award winning autonomous submarine called P.I.R.A.T.E. and developed an understanding of the physical laws of the universe. I had also developed a deep interest in motorcycles and travel.

I started teaching 12th grade mathematics at High Tech High Media Arts in 2007. This began a whole new shift in my education. I was now surrounded by a group of inspiring and progressive thinking educators who have helped inform my instruction. Since starting at HTHMA I have been extremely interested in how to bring back the creativity and best teach mathematics. The next logical step was to join the HTH GSE to further my understanding. This has been a wise decision as I have learned more than I would have ever hoped for.

Currently I'm focusing on exploring mathematics with students, traveling the world, learning new skateboarding tricks, climbing 5.10's, bicycling across the world, and creating art.

"The Mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size" -Oliver Wendell Holmes