Professional Resume

Education

Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois |  Fall 2014

  • Masters of Arts (Theatre Conservatory)  

  • Masters in Directing

Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois | Spring 2007

  • Bachelor of Arts

  • Secondary Education program in English and Theatre

Additional Training

  • Certified International Baccalaureate (Level One) Theatre Educator

  • CRISS Strategies  (Summer 2013, Fall 2008)

  • Six Traits of Writing  (Summer 2008)

  • 450+ hours of professional development courses

  • Trained in Edline, Skyward, Interactive Smartboards, Workspace, Powerschool, Google Suites, and more.

Certification

  • Illinois Type 09 Standard Secondary Teaching Certificate

  • Professional Educator License (PEL)

  • Endorsements in English Language Arts and Drama/Theatre Arts

  • Valid for grades 6 to 12

Experience

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz — Acero Schools High School, Chicago, Illinois | August 2018 – Present Theatre 1, Theatre 2, Musical Theatre, Advanced Scene Study, Directing, Advanced Acting,Ensemble; Director of Acero High School Theatre; Director and Technical Director.

Grades 9 to 12 

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois and National standards

  • Taught and maintained active, disciplined classrooms in the following subjects: Theatre 1, Theatre 2, Musical Theatre, Advanced Scene Study, Directing, Advanced Acting, Ensemble

  • Created and Adapted the curriculum for all Theatre courses

  • Created unique, active classroom activities centered on student learning, collaboration and individually tailored to the multiple intelligences

  • Created and implemented curriculum for all levels including thematic units in: Acting styles, communication, directing, script analysis, genres of theatre, character analysis and development, musical theatre, auditioning and casting, stage movement, voice, ensemble building, warmups, pantomime, improvisation, observation, Theatre history, technical theatre, and more

  • Directing credits include: Director and designer for You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, James and the Giant Peach, The Snowman, and more

  • Worked with Fine Arts team to develop and plan a four year Arts Major for students to follow a path for all four years in high school

  • Developed and implemented online Theatre curriculum during COVID-19 pandemic

  • Cooperating teacher for Illinois State University student teacher (Spring 2021)

Thornridge High School, Dolton, Illinois | August 2017 – August 2018
Theatre Arts, IB Theatre 2, English 2; Director of Thornridge Theatre; IHSA Group Interpretation and Contest Play Coach; Certified International Baccalaureate (Level One) Theatre Educator

  • Grades 10 to 12 

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois and National standards

  • Taught and maintained active, disciplined classrooms in the following subjects: Sophomore English, Theatre Arts, International Baccalaureate Theatre Level 2

  • Assisted in adapting the curriculum and implementing units with English 2 team

  • Created and adapted curriculum for Theatre Arts and IB Theatre 2 courses

  • Created unique, active classroom activities centered on student learning, collaboration and individually tailored to the multiple intelligences

  • Created and implemented curriculum for all levels including thematic units in short stories, Greek Mythology, novel studies of To Kill a Mockingbird, and Julius Caesar

  • Theatrical design, basic acting, improvisation, script analysis, and more

  • Directing credits include: Director and designer for winter musical Little Shop of Horrors; Director and Adapter for IHSA Contest Play production of A Raisin in the Sun

  • Certified in International Baccalaureate teaching (Level One) program

Reavis High School, Burbank, Illinois | August 2015 — August 2016
Oral Communication and Critical Thinking (Essentials and Standard levels), Drama in Action, and Creating the Play Teacher; Co-Director and Technical Director of Reavis Theatre; IHSA Group Interpretation Coach

  • Grades 10 and 12

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois state standards

  • Taught and maintained active, disciplined classrooms in the following subjects: Sophomore English, Senior Drama in Action, Creating the Play semester courses

  • Assisted in adapting curriculum and implementing units with our Oral Communication team for our Oral Communication and Critical Thinking course

  • Created and adapted curriculum for Drama in Action and Creating the Play courses

  • Created unique, active classroom activities centered on student learning, collaboration, and individually tailored to the multiple intelligences

  • Created with our Oral Communication team both activities, curriculum, and key concepts that are based on state standards and Common Core standards in the classroom

  • Created and implemented curriculum for all levels (essential, standard, and honor courses) including thematic units in: Research/Informative based speeches, Persuasive Unit and Persuasive/Research based speeches, Group Communication, Short Story and Novel Analysis, Poetry and Lyric Interpretation, and Narrative Speaking

  • Directing credits include: Technical Director and Scenic Designer for the fall musical Shrek the Musical; Co-Director for spring play Almost, Maine; Director of Children’s Theatre production of Wiley and the Hairy Man; Co-Director and Adapter for IHSA Group Interpretation production of All The Bright Places

Morton East High School, Cicero, Illinois | August 2012 – August 2015
Language Arts and Performing Arts Teacher; Director of MEHS Theatre; Auditorium Manager; Lead Theatre Teacher; IHSA Group Interpretation Coach

  • Grades 10 to 12

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois state standards

  • Taught and maintained active, disciplined classrooms in the following subjects: Sophomore English, Senior Creative Writing, Sophomore through Senior Theatre Arts, Junior through Senior Intermediate Theatre Arts, Senior Theatre Arts Studio

  • Created curriculum for Theatre Arts and implemented units in the following units: Acting, Musical Theatre, Genre (comedy and drama), Theatre History, Auditioning, Plot Structure/Characters, Breathing and Acting basics, Improvisation, Technical Theatre

  • Created unique, active classroom activities that centered on student learning, collaboration and focused on the multiple intelligences of the students

  • Created with English PLT sophomore English curriculum and implemented key concepts based on Illinois state standards in the classroom

  • Created and implemented curriculum for senior-level Creative Writing students in the following thematic units: Poetry, Short Stories, Scriptwriting

  • Artistic Director, Technical Director and Designer of fall plays Lend Me a Tenor, Romeo & Juliet, Frankenstein, and spring musicals Evita, Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story

  • Oversaw the student directed productions, spring variety showcase and group interpretation team called, “Adaptations.” 

  • Built Morton East Theatre up from scratch into a quality Theatre department that thousands of students and community members learned from, enjoyed, and came back to as returning customers wanting more each year

  • Brought in theatre professionals to work and train students in the areas of: Acting, Musical Theatre Dance, Auditioning, Lighting, Sound, Fly System Maintenance and Operation, Stage Combat

  • Built relationships with feeder schools in the community by starting workshops, school matinee performances, and visiting local schools to perform adaptations of their students’ narrative and fictional writing with MEHS Theatre student actors

  • Maintained a balanced budget for three years for the Theatre Department

  • Auditorium Manager for The Historic Chodl Auditorium (seating nearly 3,000) for in school events (assemblies, guest speakers) and outside rentals (The Lithuanian Opera, Momentum Dance Company of Oak Park, Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

  • Event Coordinator and Special Liaison to both Maestro Riccardo Muti and Deborah F. Rutter, President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association, for the CSO Community Concert in partnership with Morton East High School Theatre on September 18, 2013

Jefferson Middle School, Aurora, Illinois | August 2008 – August 2012
Language Arts & Performing Arts Teacher; Director of JMS Theatre

  • Grades 6 to 8

  • Chosen to create 8th grade Language Arts/Speech curriculum

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois state standards and incorporated multimedia instructional components into classroom and student assignments

  • Taught and maintained an active, disciplined classroom in the following subjects: 6th grade Speech and Drama, 7th grade Speech and Drama, 8th grade Performing Arts; 8th Grade Language Arts (English/Communications and Drama)

  • Created and implemented thematic units in Acting, Musical Theatre, Genre (comedy and drama), Theatre History, Auditioning, Plot Structure/Characters, Basic Theatre, Romeo and Juliet, A Raisin In the Sun, The Outsiders, The Diary of Anne Frank, Grammar and Literary Devices

  • Created unique, active classroom activities that centered on student learning, collaboration, and focused on the multiple intelligences

  • Artistic Director, Technical Director and Designer of all school musicals, plays and talent shows

Morton East High School, Cicero, Illinois | January 2007 – May 2007
Student Teaching

  • Grades 10 to 12

  • Taught and maintained active, disciplined classrooms in the following subjects: Junior American Literature (2 sections), Sophomore through Senior Acting I (2 sections), Sophomore through Senior Stagecraft (1 section)

  • Created and implemented thematic units in the following: Gothic literature, Basic and Advanced Acting Techniques, Slavery and Civil War Literature, Stagecraft

  • Created unique, active classroom activities that centered on student learning, collaboration and focused on the multiple intelligences

  • Created and conducted activities according to Illinois state standards 

  • Incorporated multimedia instructional components into classroom

  • Helped cast, assist and build sets for the extra-curricular spring play A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Honors and Awards

  • Selected as Technical Director and Scenic Designer for the 2016 Illinois High School Theatre Festival All State production of Rent 

  • Coached Reavis High School’s state qualifying IHSA Group Interpretation Team

  • Lead Theatre Teacher, position awarded in 2014/2015

  • Selected as one of ten theatre teachers from around the nation to participate in the  Masters in Directing program at Roosevelt University

  • Deans List at Concordia University (six semesters)

  • Graduated Cum Laude from Concordia University Chicago

  • Winner of Concordia Arties Awards for Best Actor, Singer, Scenic Designer, Supporting Actor

Community, Campus, and Educational Activities

Community Theatre

  • Various Community Theatre Companies (La Grange Highlands, Hinsdale, and Aurora)

  • Artistic directing, acting, technical directing and design

Artists of Concordia Theatre, Concordia University

  • Involved with productions on and off stage

  • Set Manager on theatre board for 2.5 years

  • Organizer and Artistic Director of student lead fundraiser earning $10,000 for the Theatre Department

Schola Cantorum and Kapella, Concordia University

  • Chapel and top university choirs on campus

The Spectator, Concordia University

  • Editor and writer of features pages

  • Helped organize and restart school newspaper

Outreach Work

  • Clean-up trip to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (Spring 2006)

  • Fish Out of Water (Drama outreach group)

Other Activities

  • Writing Center tutor

Please see my Artistic Resume for a more detailed account of all my artistic experience.