About the Teachers

About Mr. CJ

I was born and raised in Vista, California. From a young age I loved being active. I played baseball most of my childhood, but also played basketball, hockey, football, soccer, and swim. I am a very social person, so wherever I go, I am usually surround by my family and friends. We spend time going to the beach, camping, and barbecuing by the pool.

After I graduated high school, I decided to break out of my comfort zone of beautiful Southern California, and move to Boise, Idaho. Here I attended Boise State University to get my bachelors in English Education. Moving to Idaho was an amazing experience. I got to explore the beautiful geography, where breathtaking lakes were tucked away in the peaks of the mountains. I could spend hours there and feel like only moments had passed. While living there, I had the opportunity to take a three week class overseas. I traveled to Germany, Austria, and Italy, taking a look at their social work programs. Idaho was such a beautiful location, but as time moved on, I missed my roots back in my home state. In 2019, shortly after my graduation, I moved back to San Marcos.

I was extremely lucky to be hired by HTMNC as a support teacher last year, where I quickly fell in love with the style of project based learning. My passion for creating a positive environment, and ability support all students, helped me earn a 7th grade Humanities teaching position.

During my free time I enjoy spending time with my friends, reading, and playing sports. Some of my favorite books are: The Book Thief, The Arc of the Scythe Series, A Long Way Down, The Fault in Our Stars, The Alchemist, and Water for Elephants.

About Ms. Maddy

Once upon a time, a Midwestern girl moved to California...

I was born and raised in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a city located in Southwest Wisconsin, right across the Missipppi River from Minnesota. I grew up in a very musical family, but unlike my siblings and mom who naturally found themselves performing on stages, I far preferred the track, trails, and gymnastics gym. Being active in nature is my favorite pastime, so when the opportunity to run competitively at the University of San Francisco arose, I was ecstatic.

I attended the University of San Francisco and loved every moment of my experience. My Cross Country/Track Team was an incredible community of strong, inspiring indiviudals who supported my athletic and academic goals and endeavors. I became increasingly involved in the Urban Agriculture community on campus throughout my college career, and this work inspired me to apply for an Agriculture Program with the U.S. Peace Corps.

I worked as a Rural Aquaculture Extension Specialist (fancy for fish farmer) for two years in a village called Mpungu in the Northwestern province of Zambia, Africa. My primary work was focused on bringing about food security and sustainable incomes through the implementation of aquaculture systems. I collaborated with the Zambian Department of Fisheries as well as local cooperatives to implement sustainable growth strategies through educational workshops and individual site visits.

Though I wasn't working in a traditional classroom setting, I fell in love with the field of education during my time in Zambia. I joined Teach For America to get my credential and Masters Degree upon returning to the states. For the past three years, I have been teaching at the middle school level in Indianapolis, Indiana. I am all about learning through experiences and projects, so I am beyond thrilled for this new chapter of teaching at HTMNC!

So there you have it...a Midwestern girl in a California world! :)