I was born the last of seven children in Chicago, Illinois. Both my parents were immigrants from Mexico who came separately as adults, met and got married in Chicago. I grew up in part in San Antonio near Saint Mary’s university in some old HUD apartments that once stood on the corner of 36th street and W Cheryl Dr called the Chaminade. I dropped out of Thomas Jefferson high school and went to Bexar county jail when I was 17. After a few years of getting in and out of trouble and several low skilled, low paying jobs I decided my life needed a drastic change. So, I went to night school in the basement of a church near Woodlawn Lake, got my GED and in 1989 joined the only branch of service that would give me a waiver for my youthful indiscretions – the Navy. I felt lucky! In 2010 I retired as a Chief Petty Officer having served onboard 5 ships as a Quartermaster (enlisted navigator), and two training commands. In the fall of 2010 I started college, in the spring of 2012 I earned my AA, spring 2014 BA, spring 2016 MA, and spring 2018 my teacher’s certification. I met my wife as an undergrad at UTSA, the former Dihanna Rae Garcia and we got married in 2017.

We love living here just outside San Antonio in the hill country and hope to start a small family soon. As a first generation American, college graduate, and retired Veteran I’m living proof anyone can do anything they set their minds to do and, I firmly believe our students can do, and go wherever their dreams take them.