Julie Ornelas — Spanish
When I was in the eighth grade my family took a trip to Puerto Rico which inspired me to begin my study of the Spanish language. I studied Spanish throughout high school and college. While a college student, I spent a semester abroad in Spain at the University of Saint Louis in Madrid, where I studied Spanish language, history, culture, art, and dance. In 1999 I graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a Bachelor of the Arts in Art Practice. Upon graduating from UC Berkeley, I joined the United States Peace Corps and served as an environmental education volunteer for two years and two months on Isla Cristobal in Bocas del Toro, Panama. After completing my service in Panama, I signed up for a brief stint as a Crisis Corps volunteer in El Salvador as part of a revitalization effort after two earthquakes devastated the country in 2001. Throughout my volunteer service in Central America I was able to travel to Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras, expanding my language skills and enjoying all aspects of Latino culture. In 2002 I joined Teach for America and taught bilingual education and structured English Immersion for Kindergarten through Fifth grade students in South Central Los Angeles. As a Teach for America teacher I attended Loyola Marymount University and obtained my Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters Degree in Elementary Education. In 2005 I became certified to teach children's yoga through Yoga Ed. and the Radiant Child Yoga Program. Two years ago I returned to Northern California to teach a bilingual program. I am thrilled to be joining The Phoenix Schools to teach what I am most passionate about: Spanish and after-school yoga.
