Hello, everyone wanted to tell you a little bit about myself. I am originally from New York City, but lived most of my life in Puerto Rico and Texas. I keep close ties to the big apple but I consider myself an adopted Texan. Since I was raised in Puerto Rico, my primary language is Spanish. I am fortunate to have lived in a country in which bi-lingual education was provided. It is quite interesting to say that I have experienced several cultural shocks in my lifetime. The most recent cultural shock was moving from Puerto Rico to Houston, Texas in 1979. I assure “you’ all” I now sound like a Texan.

All my formal education was provided by the Puerto Rican public school system. I graduated when I was sixteen years old; entered college knowing that I was going to study psychology. Therefore, I completed my bachelors in Psychology from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in May 1976. All along, my goal has been to be psychologist; in my attempts to enter graduate school in the United States, I explored many colleges and universities. To make a long story short, I ended up going to the same university for my graduate studies, but had to sacrifice my desire to study psychology and enter the counseling and guidance program. At that time, the university did not offer a graduate degree in psychology. By the following year, I had completed my coursework and graduated with a master’s degree. Being twenty-one years old with a graduate degree was a great accomplishment but I had not fulfilled my goal. I decided to go for the gold and through a friend and family, which have recently moved to Houston, decided to apply for University of Houston doctoral program in educational psychology. That was not what I really wanted to do and decided to postpone my advance studies for a later date. Currently I attend Walden University and plan to complete my PhD in educational psychology within a year or two.

My employment history is also varied and extensive. I have worked with young children, adolescents and adults in residential programs, criminal justice (field and institutional work with juveniles), secondary drop out prevention and safe school programs in secondary schools, attendance enforcement, family preservation, family therapy, teaching psychology, teaching learning frameworks courses and alternative schools. Over twenty-seven years of experience working with people have broadened my perspective and approach to the study of human mental process and behavior. My research interests include student motivation in online education, with particular emphasis in the concept of self-efficacy and academic success. I have published one article on the subject in a national journal and will continue to study this topic. My dissertation topic will be in this area with specific emphasis on a subject area.

Academia has driven my life but I also have other interest. My love for music has also guided my interest. I am involved in music production, recording, and performance with various groups in the Houston area. I play sax, flutes, guitar, percussion, and learning to play piano and uilleann bagpipes (Irish).

I have been married for almost three years, even though it seems like an eternity; I married a wonderful woman with two kids. Melinda is a first grade teacher, and my two sons named Christopher (12) and Matthew (7). Both boys are wonderful and active kids that make my life interesting and never boring. Those of you that have kids know what I am talking about.

I have experience the receiving end of distant learning and with the assistance of this course and the opportunity that the online university experience has provided allows me to learn about the other side of the spectrum. Hoping that one day, I will contribute to the enhancement in the quality of online education.