I was born in Bellflower, California in 1979, but relocated to Roseburg, Oregon with my family in 1985--the place I called home until I left on a two-year LDS mission to Italy in 1998.
 
In 2001, I married the love of my life, Sarah Sharp, and in the midst of going to school and teaching, we've had five children: Arwen, Eleanor, John Jr. (Jack), Alice, and Caramina.
 
I earned my B.A. in English and M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning from the University of Oregon by 2007, and  I currently teach 7th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies in Springfield, Oregon where I live with my family.