I was born in Salinas, California, and grew up in a small beach town (Imperial Beach) south of San Diego. I joined the Marine Corps in 1980 and served in the Reserves until 1986. After struggling for a while following the death of my father in 1982, I moved to Arizona in 1984 (my roots). I adopted my first 2 children in 1985. It was then I decided to go back to school. I graduated from Grand Canyon University in 1991. Just before graduating from Grand Canyon, I adopted my second 2 children. They are all fully grown, and I now have 14 grandchildren. I was hired in 1992 at Greenway High School, where I taught English, Psychology and Sociology for 31 years before retiring this past summer. I coached football and softball. I was also the faculty advisor for our community service club (Key Club) for 25 years. I am still the starter for swim, the scoreboard operator for football, and I umpire baseball in the Spring. My wife and I have been married for 8 years. We have 3 dogs and are planning a Mediterranean cruise for April of next year.