With 23 years of experience teaching high school Spanish, Jill brings a deep love of language and culture to her classroom. An Oakland native and graduate of Skyline High School, she earned double BAs in Spanish and International Relations from UC Davis and later completed her MA in Latin American Studies at UCLA, along with her Spanish teaching credential from Cal State East Bay. A semester studying abroad in Chile and extensive travel throughout Mexico and Central America deepened her passion for the Spanish-speaking world.

She believes learning another language opens doors to opportunity and connection, and she works to create a supportive environment where all students feel comfortable taking risks and growing in confidence. A mother of two boys, including an O’Dowd senior, she joined the faculty after seeing firsthand the strength of the Dragon community. Outside of school, she enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, traveling, and keeping up with the latest teen slang.