About Me

Hello and mabuhay! These two words are pretty much what identifies me: I was born in the Philippines speaking Tagalog but was raised in the United States and eventually learned English. I became so sufficient and an expert in it that it became my major, which eventually led me to so many career paths.

Right now I currently live in the bay area, and there was a time when I wished differently, but I’m grateful  to live in a place where I can experience the four seasons, find descent parking and say the word “hella” without being judged.

I have taught middle school and high school English for over ten years; however, about three years ago I took a leave of absence from my job to become a full-time student in a MFA Creative Writing program. You can read more about that here.

Since my mother gave me a set of children’s books at a young age, I’ve always loved to read and write. I remember not even being in school yet and telling my mom I wanted to be a “writer.” In my culture, it’s very rare to pursue such an uncertain career; it’s not as stable as, say, being a teacher. There are many obstacles and challenges with leaving a stable job, but just like many of the stories I’ve read, there will be many chapters before you reach the end, and I consider myself in one of the many chapters in my life.

When I’m not reading and writing I jog, yoga, cook and  spend time with my husband, who is a DJ. Together, we create and edit videos for our YouTube page, The Teacher and The DJ, which you can find our vlog videos here. When I’m not doing any of the above, I’m on the search for a perfectly brewed macha tea, a vintage boston Gucci purse and a rescue French Bulldog who I can name Phife. I know it’s ambitious, but so is being writer.

Mabuhay,

Sheila

on my wedding day