• Teaches how to learn and how to love learning
Devon was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. At six months, he moved with his family to California and then Pennsylvania, back to California, and then to Michigan. He is the middle of three, with an older and younger sister. His parents divorced when he was nine and he continued to move, finally settling in CA. His dad just recently retired from the cosmetics industry and his mom is still working as an office manager for a scaffolding company. Devon describes himself as an extrovert while he was growing up, always comfortable talking with others. His interests included paleontology, which he thinks first began as a result of watching Jurassic Park! He says he loved "digging for bones" in his yard or wherever he could. He would also describe himself as a "gearhead" who loved ALL types of cars and spent endless hours in the garage with his dad, working on cars. His dad did all of his own car repairs and modifications, so Devon learned from an early age the many intricacies of mechanical work. He had a strong sense of who he was and what he enjoyed. He played lacrosse in high school, but it never became a passion. He was all about "wrenching" on something- a dirt bike, go-kart, or his car! He also enjoyed drawing throughout his childhood and he still does on occasion when he is out hiking and exploring. After high school graduation in Temecula, Ca., he considered joining the Marines. He realized it was something other people thought was best for him and he wanted to go to college to become a teacher! He attended Palomar Community College for two years before transferring to California State University San Marcos to earn his bachelor's degree in history. During his time at the university, he began working at the local movie theatre. He started at an entry-level position and soon became the corporate maintenance technician! He did not have heavy supervision in his position and so learned quickly that he needed to "figure things out!" He had a professor at the university encourage him to get his endorsement to teach English in addition to history. Devon believes this choice was a game-changer for him in many ways. In Devon's senior year, COVID-19 hit in March, and everything shut down. His Capstone Project, a research paper that he was required to write to graduate, was greatly impacted. With libraries and museums shut down, he no longer had access to books and materials needed to write his research paper. As with his job at the movie theatre, he had to "figure it out." He began "cold emailing" authors, heads of museums, librarians, etc., and remained very persistent and creative until he was able to collect enough needed information to write his paper. Because of the unique challenges that he faced, his success at graduating with his Capstone Project completed, success was even sweeter. In the fall of 2020, Devon entered the one-year teaching credential program at the same university.
When Devon was in the 7th grade, he met Hannah and they became fast friends, graduating high school together and even working at the same movie theatre together when he was in college. During his third year of college, their friendship blossomed into dating and they have never looked back. Both decided to move to Portland when Devon finished his teaching credential program. They were drawn to the beauty of the surroundings, the weather, and the opportunities. They are now engaged and plan to marry in June 2025. In June 2021, Devon applied for a one-year position at Corbett High School to cover a maternity leave. He was hired and taught English and AP Literature. When the year was over, Cassie Duprey asked him if he would consider staying on but working in the grade school. He did a great deal of research and met the staff at the grade school before applying for the teaching position as a K-1 teacher. Devon was hired in August 2022 and he is currently taking classes at PSU to officially get his elementary teaching endorsement. Devon says he loves engaging with the young students in his classroom, talking about all of the incredible things in the world and how they can have an impact! Opinion writing, through the use of both words and pictures, is his favorite thing to teach as he believes everyone has a voice and has the ability to positively impact their world. He and Hannah love to travel! They have driven across the US numerous times (at least ten) over the years and feel that each time is a unique and great experience! Hannah does web design and is involved in sales. Devon says they are both active outdoors people.
