What was your background before coming to RIFLI? I teach leadership at the University of RI.
What do you like best about working for RIFLI so far? The interaction with the diverse population of people
What is the biggest challenge you've had at RIFLI? Getting the students to appreciate the need to learn English
What do you hope to accomplish with your students this year? Get them to learn a little English and pass the citizenship exam
Tell us a little bit about your non-RIFLI life and interests. I was born in Guatemala, but consider myself a native Rhode Islander. I earned my B.A. (1993) in English with a concentration in African/African American Literature from the University of Rhode Island. I then went out to work in the public and private sectors. I have also had a significant amount of experience as a caseworker for non-profit agencies assisting clients with mental health issues, emotional issues, and substance abuse issues. I returned to the University of Rhode Island to earn my M.S. (2004) in College Student Personnel. During my second visit to URI I worked as the Advisor to the URI Panhellenic Council for a semester, interned at the Multicultural Center, advising Multicultural Student Organizations, and was the Graduate Assistant for the Center for Student Leadership and Development. My accomplishments during graduate school were rewarded, I received the Multicultural Center's Graduate Student Excellence in Leadership & Service Award. Upon graduation from URI, I became the Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs at Stonehill College in Easton, MA. I worked with multicultural first year students as well as first year international students assisting in their transition to college, as well as provided diversity programming for the Stonehill community. I am a General Member on the URI Alumni Executive Board, an active member of the Rhode Island Young Professionals (a branch of the Urban League), and a member of the Providence chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. as well as a volunteer for InSight. I live in Providence.

What was your background before coming to RIFLI? Prior to joining RIFLI, I worked with a program helping high school students get a better score on their SAT and guide them through the college application process. I taught math for a total of three years and helped students write their college essays.
What do you  like best about working for RIFLI so far? Working with intelligent people who sincerely care about helping students reach their goals.
What is the biggest challenge you've had at RIFLI?  The biggest challenge I have had so far, is learning how to teach groups of students whose experience with computers vary significantly, in addition to their very different levels of understanding and speaking English.
What do you hope to accomplish with your students this year? I hope to help students become confident in their computer skills and later make use of them to accomplish their goals.
Tell us a little bit about your non-RIFLI life and interests. I am a student at Brown University with a major in International Relations and Economics.  I am interested in pursuing a career in the financial services industry and, eventually, changing careers by becoming a high school teacher.

What was your background before coming to RIFLI? I spent the past year working for AmeriCorps at the Providence Children's Museum.  Before that I spent several years in PA getting my degree in early childhood education.
What do you like best about working for RIFLI so far? I really like working as a part of a team to create positive experiences for the whole family.
What is the biggest challenge you've had at RIFLI? My biggest challenge is working with two very different groups of diverse students. Luckily it's a challenge I enjoy.
What do you hope to accomplish with your students this year? I hope that they enjoy the literacy activities that we do and that they improve their skills in a low stress environment.
Tell us a little bit about your non-RIFLI life and interests. I have a day job at The Big Apple, an orchard in Wrentham, MA, where I make caramel apples and lead tours among other things. In my free time I go to concerts, cook, and visit with friends.

What was your background before coming to RIFLI? Student at New England Institute of Technology.
What do you like best about working for RIFLI so far? Meeting a diverse group of people and new friends.
What is the biggest challenge you've had at RIFLI? Learning how to teach to all different levels
What do you hope to accomplish with your students this year? I hope to teach them to be self- sufficient on the computer.
Tell us a little bit about your non-RIFLI life and interests.  I have worked security all my life practically. I was a bouncer for a dance club in Utah. I fought a golden gloves bout while I was a boxer. I boxed for 2 years. I married my wife who also works for RIFLI and I moved to RI. I love boxing, skiing and outdoors stuff. I love snowmobiling and racing. I am a big movie buff and have pretty much seen anything mainstream.