Another School YearHaha so much for updating this thing regularly. As usual so much has happened since my last entry that I'm just going to do a list of things that have happened/I've accomplished in the last few months. That and because I love lists. It makes me happy. FIRST IN MATH: My Bilingual 5th Grade class last year place 2ND IN THE NATION in First in Math Online. GO EMBER31NJ!! I was (and still am) way too proud of them. This year we're going for the gold... TRENTON YOUTH ORCHESTRA: This summer I created my first Non-Profit Educational Organization... the Trenton Youth Orchestra! I've spent the last year collecting instruments from different elementary and middle schools in Trenton that had been sitting in storage for the 10+ years and I am determined to revive the music program in the Elementary and Middle Schools no matter what it takes. I have a meeting with the Trenton High Music Dept. and the Superintendent in the next 2 weeks to see what we can do...There is still alot of work to be done (and a lot more proposals to write) but in the end it is going to be worth it... VIDEO GAME DESIGN INSTITUTE: Shortly after creating the Trenton Youth Orchestra I figured why not take a chance and start up another program? The result was the Video Game Design Insitute (VGDI). I absolutely love video games and have always had a passion for creating games. Kids love video games. Since 2003 I have been teaching kids how to create video games in the various after school programs that I have worked in. This summer I decided to turn it into a legitimate Educational Non-Profit organization. Shortly after forming the organization I created a short 1-month Pilot Program at the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center (LNSC) in Lawrence, NJ (where I was a camp teacher the last 2 years). The response was overwhelming. I am now contracted with LNSC to run VGDI throughout the school year. Even crazier is that I am also running VGDI with the Boys and Girls Club and now the YMCA AND some schools in Trenton want a piece of the action.This program is going to be huge.... OTHER FUN STUFF: - Went to Puerto Rico for a week and had an amazing time. I want to go back... - My cousin Orlando and his wife (now also a cousin of mine lol) had their first baby together...Santiago Colon. And I was just named Godfather so I'm extremely excited about that. Orlando also left for Iraq yesterday for the first time so we're all going to be praying and hoping for the best... - Oh yeah I also started Grad School at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ). I was so busy I missed the first day of class (plus my adviser gave me the wrong class date and I was so busy I didn't double check...oops!). I've already done my first assignment and the class seems pretty easy. Let's hope it stays that way... So there you have it...that's been my life in the past year. No I don't have any time for myself anymore lol. When I'm not working 12-14 hour days, I'm usually in NYC with my girlfriend recovering from my hectic work week. It's all worth it though...it's all for the kids! | 
