Introduction Blog

    Hello, all!

    My name is Patrick Alvarez. I grew up and am currently living in Sunbury Pennsylvania. I am entering my junior year at Bloomsburg University where I am majoring in English Secondary Education. I am a member of both the Phi Kappa Phi and NSLS honors societies. Concurrently, I am employed as a direct support professional at ADERS Inc based out of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. My job primarily entails providing support to individuals with intellectual disabilities and whom are on the autism spectrum, whether that be in a social setting, life skills, behavioral improvements, etc.  My job is very rewarding as I get to not only watch the growth of my clients but expand upon my people/caretaking skills which I aim to transfer into the forthcoming teaching world.

    My hobbies include gaming, listening to music, writing (mostly poetry), collecting knick-knacks, and spending quality time with friends and family. 

Listed is a link to a website that has always held a special place in my heart, mostly for its satisfying and mindless games, nostalgic value, and overall aesthetic: Cool Math Games! 

    Despite my unhealthy obsession with astronomy-based YouTube shorts, raunchy historical facts, and random information to further my semantic knowledge and trivia expertise, my indecisiveness got the best of me, and I wasn't able to narrow it down to one specific video. Instead, I will attach a link to the YouTube channel, StarTalk, owned by/ featuring astrophysicist and slightly meme-ified, Neil Degrasse-Tyson. Tyson delves into all aspects of the universe and explains them in such a simplistic manner that I believe genuinely anyone can understand. It is that very token that proves just how awesome of a teacher he is, and one I hope to adopt into my eventual teaching repertoire. 

StarTalk

    Where books are concerned, although fairly mainstream and academically ubiquitous, Of Mice and Men by John Steinback never fails to compel me. The novel is set in Great Depression-era California, closely following two ranchers being George Milton and Lennie Small. The complementation of the two main characters is rich and brilliantly constructed. Lennie is an intellectually disabled man, with notable strength but such innocence--especially for animals (especially rabbits). George, the stoic, witty man that is Lennie's unsung guardian, leads the charge where their ambitions are concerned. The two men just trying to make their way through turbulent times, lean on each other for jobs well-done and maintaining relationships with folks they encounter down the road. 

    I revisited this novel as an adult a few years back after reading it in High School where it was required, and its blend of tragedy, love, and strength of characters all collectively place it at the forefront of my favorite books. I think what gets me the most is how love is conceptualized--how there is no universal/unanimous way. In the case of this text, it falls into a realm that is morbid and gut-wrenching.

     Moreover, I took the time fairly recently to further explore the works of William Faulkner and stumbled across a collection of his short stories at the library I assist-volunteer at with one of my clients through my job. A Rose for Emily is regarded as his most famous work, as it should be, and after reading it in an American Literature course a year or so back, I was curious to see what else this famous author had in store. 

   Hope that covers everything. I love to talk but can't seem to figure out how to do it well. Looking forward to meeting everyone!