STEM Teaching Candidate
Certification area: Mathematics 7-12 · B.S. Computer Science · 13 years professional engineering
Three Del Rio teachers changed my life: my middle school math teacher, the spark; my computer science teacher, the engine; my calculus teacher, the math underneath it all. After 13 years of software engineering, what made me feel most alive were the “aha!” moments I shared with colleagues. I’m home now, and I want to be like those teachers for the next student here.
Current status
| Area | Current status | Campus value |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | ACP coursework and all 50 observation hours (100% in-person, 6 teachers across grades 8-12 on two Del Rio campuses) are complete through iteachTEXAS; only the PPR exam remains before full Texas Mathematics 7-12 certification. | Subject-matter content readiness formally verified by the State of Texas, and a clear runway to full certification |
| Ready to start | Eligible for full-time hire today under the Statement of Eligibility; ready to take a classroom now, including a mid-year or late-vacancy opening | A campus can hire him and staff a room now, rather than wait on a candidate still in coursework |
| Subjects he can teach | Mathematics 7-12 is the certification area. The degree, the research, and the career are computer science and engineering, so he is also ready to take on CS, robotics, and STEM electives, or sponsor a STEM club, wherever a campus needs the coverage | One hire who covers a math opening and strengthens the campus STEM bench at the same time |
| How he'll teach | Step-by-step clarity, logical reasoning, and calm communication, the same way he explained technical ideas to non-technical audiences and mentored engineers for 13 years | Student confidence and stronger conceptual understanding |
| Engineer in the classroom | Brings professional engineering experience into the room, so students see how the math and science they are learning actually get used to build things | A credible answer to "when will I use this?" that drives engagement and keeps more students in the STEM pipeline |
Teaching and tutoring experience
- Classroom observation through iteachTEXAS: 50 hours, all in person, with 6 teachers across grades 8-12 on two Del Rio campuses
- Calculus Teaching Assistant, Math and Computer Science Tutor, Texas State University (2008-2011): supported about 60 students in college-level math, and tutored 150+ students at every level in university tutoring labs and one-on-one, from remedial algebra through advanced college math and computer science, including 4 working parents pursuing a college degree through the Chapultepec Housing Authority
- Career Day demo at Lonnie Green Elementary (2023): built an app in two weeks and live-edited the code on a projector for an elementary class, letting students predict the output in real time
Engineering experience
- Senior Software Engineer and Team Lead, ShipStation (Feb 2015 - Jul 2025): explained technical ideas clearly to non-technical audiences, mentored engineers through structured problem-solving, and built iPhone and Android apps used by more than 70,000 people worldwide
- Software Engineer, SpeakWrite (2011-2014) and EagleEye Networks (2014-2015)
- Thirteen years of explaining, mentoring, and breaking hard problems into steps other people can follow, which is the same job as teaching, done for adults
Selected work
- Two free apps I built for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, where I sing and play in the choir: a parishioner web app and a choir app approved by Apple for the App Store, so the congregation can follow and sing along at Mass; polished software shipped end to end, the same rigor and creativity I'll bring to the classroom
- SamePage, a free job-quote app for a local trade business ($250 install + $75 parts = $325, re-approved on the spot): everyday arithmetic students find genuinely relevant
- Websites by Miguel: builds and maintains websites for local Del Rio businesses at heavily discounted rates, so small shops get software they otherwise could not afford
Additional strengths
- Deep command of the full arc of school math, plus a computer science degree and a perfect 4.00 across every science course taken, ideal for building the foundations students carry into everything that comes later
- Three summers of NSF-funded undergraduate research spanning three STEM fields: trigonometry applied to gesture recognition (UT Arlington), number theory (Texas State), and network security (Colorado State), all of it math and science students can actually see at work
- A knack for making hard ideas feel simple, and even fun, recognized with a university-wide Student Employee of the Year nomination for turning a research lab's complex data into software any assistant could use
- Bilingual in English and Spanish, able to support students and connect with families in both languages
- A familiar volunteer face around Del Rio, playing regular music sets for residents at local nursing homes
- Steady, organized, and reliable, with the professional maturity students and colleagues can count on