My full name is René De Jesús Briceño.  I was born in San Jose Costa Rica and emigrated to the United States in 1980 at the age of five along with my mother Sandra and three older sisters.  Their names are Hazel, Carolina, and Indiana.

 

I grew up within walking distance of downtown Los Angeles.  Those in the skateboard world would consider Los Angeles the mecca of skateboarding in the mid-late '80s. I became interested in skateboarding after watching a movie called Thrashing.   I skateboarded all throughout middle school and 9th grade. My dream was to become a professional skateboarder.  

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Skateboarding literally saved my life.  I chose to skate instead of succumbing to the dangers of drugs and gang violence.  Skateboarding provided a safe haven and kept me away from trouble.  I credit skateboarding for providing me an alternative lifestyle.  I practiced Taekwondo concurrent to my skateboarding years and earned several individual accolades.  In high school, I played football and baseball without ever sitting on the bench. 

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I've coached little league baseball, basketball, flag football, and skateboarding for nearly 13 years.  I've even umpired little league championship games because it's fun. 

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I worked in tech for twenty-plus years prior to switching to teaching.  I decided to start school again to earn a master's in teaching.  I'm now a full-time STEM/Spanish/Science teacher at a Montessori school near Palo Alto California.

 

I love teaching no matter the subject matter.  Teaching kids how to skateboard in the summer feels like a dream.  I thank all of you for making my dream a reality.

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René De Jesús Briceño

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