My Linguistics journey thus far.
I have a passion for understanding language structure, with special interest in generative syntax and Athabaskan languages.
I began my journey in Linguistics at the University of Utah while also obtaining a TESOL certificate. I taught English in Taiwan to Mandarin-speakers and in Salt Lake city to a range of students; but primarily Spanish-speakers and Portuguese-speakers.
I was fortunate enough to have been accepted into MIT’s Indigenous Languages Initiative (MITILI) graduate program. Under the guidance of Norvin Richards and Adam Albright , I developed a deeper understanding of the various theories surrounding phrase structure and which of those concern Diné Bizaad. Independently, I was able to study Athabaskan linguistic works written by Eloise Jelinek, Keren Rice, Joyce McDonough, Margaret Speas, Paul Platero, and Ken Hale.
Current Interests include exploring wh- movement characteristics in Navajo, the details concerning the "negation frame" in Navajo syntactic structures, and Navajo question marker differences.
Work experience
July 2022 - Present
BASIS Chandler
Linguistics teacher (Middle School)
June 2021 - November 2021
Navajo Language Academy
Linguist
January 2018 - August 2020
Lumos Language School
English Teacher (ESL)
Education
2020 - 2022
M.S. Linguistics - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2011 - 2015
B.A. Linguistics - University of Utah