About Paul

I was born in Fort Collins, Colorado and I lived there most my life. I grew up with a love of writing, drawing, Legos, all things science fiction, and (a in a sometimes complicated relationship) reading. I went through years of wanting to grow up to do any number of different things, but they all involved people and stories.  I love to tell and hear stories, and I love working with people. I eventually found a great combination of those two interests in pursuing English and education.

I had my ups and downs as a student, but thanks to the investment of a few special teachers, and the patient balance of force and support from my parents, I got on track and graduated high school. Not wanting to stray far from my hometown, I enrolled in college at CSU. There I was able to really indulge in my passions and I received an English degree with a concentration in creative writing. It was at CSU that I really gained a love of learning. By the time I was about to graduate, I knew I didn't want to stop being in school or stop learning. While there would have been cheaper ways to solve that problem, I decided graduate school sounded perfect for me, and I returned to CSU the following semester to pursue a master's in English education. For more information about my education, please refer to the Education page.

In graduate school I was able to reunite with some of my childhood passions, specifically science fiction, as I set out to craft a class for the final project of my master's degree. This class is called "Science Fiction and the STEM Fields." It is a literature class designed to bridge disciplines that sometime feel far apart by using science fiction to build science literacy and using a scientific mindset to enhance students’ fiction and non-fiction literacy skills. To support the rationale for this course, I conducted research at a STEM-focused middle school. I also received a graduate teaching assistant position, which (despite its name) involved teaching two of my own sections of CO 150: College Composition each semester.

After I graduated, I taught in a variety of contexts, ranging from 6th grade to 12th grade. I worked as both a daily and a long-term substitute teacher before I began teaching full time at Fort Morgan High School. I taught 10th, 11th, and 12th grade language arts as well as a concurrent enrollment College Composition course. I was the Chair of the English Department for three years.

Since then, I have been working at Thompson Valley High School, where I have taught 9th Grade English, American Literature, Mythology and Science Fiction, and two concurrent enrollment courses through Front Range Community College: Introduction to Literature and College Composition.

I have been a member of Sigma Tau Delta (the English Honor Society) since spring 2013, a member of the National Council of Teachers of English since summer 2014, and a member of the Colorado Education Association since fall of 2016.

Hobbies and Other Interests

Many of my hobbies, such as writing (fiction, non-fiction, and academic), reading, playing Dungeons and Dragons, and playing video games tie into my love of stories. Some of my other hobbies include biking, hiking, making costumes, and drawing. I also include recording short stories to share with my friends and other audio projects. I am married, and I am the proud (co)owner of two Pembroke Welsh corgis: Fili and Kili.

Honors and Awards

• Teacher of the Month, Fort Morgan High School - March 2019

• Distinction on M.A. Project for "Science Fiction and the STEM Fields" - 2015

• Graduate Teaching Assistantship - 2013-2015

• James J. Garvey Graduate English Language Scholarship - 2015-2016

• Outstanding Graduate Writing Award in Composition, Rhetoric, & Literacy: 1st Place - 2015