- What gets you the most excited about starting a new year of US Academic Triathlon?
Even though the program only runs half the year, my brain is running full time! I have been coming up with ideas for new challenges and I am looking forward to figuring out how to turn them into Mind Sprints and PARTY events.
2. What creative things do you do in your spare time?
I do a lot of different creative things. For starters, I write a lot. I am working on both a novel and a nonfiction book, which is based on my blog about Steampunk which I post to three times per week. I am also currently running drama clubs for 1st-3rd graders and teens through my local Friends of the Library organization. I get to really test my own improv skills later this fall when I start leading walking tours around Sacramento where I have to be in character as a resident of the 1850s. Lastly, I make mixed media assemblage art out of scrapbook paper, found objects and canvasses.
3. What is your favorite USAT event and why?
When I was on a team back in the day, my favorite event was always PARTY in a Box. I was never a shy kid, so getting up in front of people was easy and fun for me, and I liked the challenge of creating a skit with so little time. Ever since I got too old to be on a team, I have helped my mom (Peggy) with writing the challenges for a new generation of triathletes, and PARTY has continued to be my favorite event.
4. What is your role in the program?
I am in charge of planning and executing the curriculum for the program, which means that starting this year I will be writing all of the MindSprints, PARTY in a Box prompts and Face-Offs. In the past few years I have written about half of the MindSprints and PARTYs, but I have not been involved in Face-Off beyond fact-checking and proof-reading, so I am looking forward to this new challenge. I also write the articles for this blog, like the PARTY series and SCAMPER series last year. This year I am going to focus on Face-Off, STEM and the theory of Multiple Intelligences, so make sure to follow this blog to get information that can help your students learn, grow, and improve their scores in the competition. Lastly, I will be providing fun brainstorming prompts on a weekly basis through our Facebook page, so don’t forget to “like” us in order to get even more practice materials.
5. Who was your hero when you were in middle school?
Albert Einstein. I was drawn to his brilliance, humility and humor. My favorite quote of his is still “Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
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