COLLEGE OF MICRONESIA-CHUUK CAMPUS: Instructor/Program Coordinator for Chuuk Culture & Education Studies Program (August 2002 to December 2004)
College of Micronesia-Chuuk campus was an exciting and interesting place to work.
I was first hired to teach HISTORY OF MICRONESIA in the classrooms. Eventually, I moved to out of the classroom to become the coordinator for this Chuuk Culture & Education Studies program.
It turned out, I liked the assignment. I was, actually, very passionate about the program because of what it stood for (which was to empower our cultural experts to teach their traditional skills in a formal classroom setting).
It was exciting times!
I wore many hats during these two years. In addition to being in the classroom and the program coordinator for CCESP, I was also publishing/editing and writing for our school newspapers as well---Chuuk Nius.
So, I prepared lessons for my classes, scheduled and coordinated cultural learning activities with traditional subject matter experts, high and elementary and high schools in the capital of Chuuk, Weno. I also became part of an Education initiative representing COM-Chuuk campus in a Chuuk government outreach program to local communities called, No Child Left Behind/Children Literacy Program.
In 2004, my boy was born with a congenital heart disease. So, in 2005, I resigned and moved our family to Guam to seek medical assistance for him.
We've been in Guam ever since.
KASEHLELIE PRESS: Freelance writer/Chuuk correspondent (August 2002 to December 2004)
When I worked at College of Micronesia-Chuuk campus as classroom instructor and program coordinator, I also freelanced for Kasehlelie Press as the Chuuk correspondent, covering major news events.
Chuuk, to date, has no bone fide major news organization to guard the government and the people. So there is practically no news coverage for the most populated states in the young nation of Federated States of Micronesia.
There was a private news outlet that also started at the time. But KP was the only thing we had then besides the school papers.
XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL: Instructor/publisher/editor/coach/moderator (September 1999 to June 2002)
This was my first job after arriving back from Portland, Ore., where I spent almost 10 years of my life after the military.
But it was very interesting!
The only teaching experience I had prior to this was training sessions I was assigned to teach either in the field or the "rear."
Things like weapons mechanics, CPR, casualty field assessment and treatment, military occupation skills related lessons, survival skills, etc.
What made matters even more interesting, I had no assigned textbooks for some of the courses I taught: Civics for seniors; History of Micronesia for juniors and Introduction to Chuukese for the freshmen.
I also taught Scripture studies for the juniors and Freshman Literature for the freshmen ... the only classes with textbooks.
Anyhow, I got extremely creative and ended up using mostly books written by the military leaders in the region during WWII, oral interviews with the locals, local legends and Online research ... lots of it!
Lucky for me, Micronesia Seminar---a Micronesia research project founded by a Jesuit priest---used to be housed at school. And there was plenty material I was able to use left over from their day at XHS.
Coaching the basketball/volleyball teams later in the afternoons kept the excitement near peaking most of the time.
But it was writing for the school paper, Three Towers, later in the evenings that became my refuge from all the hustling and bustling of the day.
Very lively and exciting times helping the young men and women learn, top students, from all over Micronesia.
U.S. ARMY RESERVES (671st Engineer Co., Portland, Ore.): E-5, Ribbon Bridge/Boat crew supervisor (August 1995 to January 1999)
I worked primarily as a ribbon bridge/boat crew supervisor in an Engineer outfit in Portland, Ore., with three soldiers under my supervision.
I maintained my own transporting Army truck with my own ribbon bridge and a boat as part of the mission for the 671th Engineer Company's overall mission building assault bridges for for the U.S. Army's overall combat mission.
In January 2003, long after I had left the unit, 671th Engineer Co., was finally mobilized as part of the conflict, Iraqi Freedom.
UNITED STATES ARMY: E-4, Supply Specialist (September 1988 to September 1994)
I worked primarily as a warehouse/storage specialist, shipping and receiving supplies for various Units in Germany and mainland U.S.
But there were special assignments I'd had... like driving for the S-2/3 (Security/Intelligence, Planning & Operations) commander in my last Unit in Germany.
During my four-year tour in active duty, I worked at various places: Ft. Leonardwood, MO.; Ft. Lee, VA.; Darby Kasern in Nurnburg, Germany; Dolan Barracks in Schwaebisch Hall, Germany; McKee Barracks in Crailsheim, Germany; Desert Shield/Storm, Middle East; and, finally, Ft. Riley, KS., where I closed out my regular Army career in 1992.