Hello English Students!

My name is Dakota Pachunka. I am very excited to help you along your educational journey. Together, we will help shape you into individuals who not only have strong literacy and writing abilities, but also are empowered individuals who are college and career ready. Let's do this! 

About Me: 

• I was born and raised in Arizona and am currently 29 years old. I have only lived in one other state, which was in (Omaha) Nebraska, when I was little. 
• I graduated from Desert Edge High School in 2009 and will always be a Scorpion at heart!
• Currently, I have an Associate's degree in General Studies, as well as a Bachelor's degree in Business Management with a minor in Global Leadership. I have also received my Post-Baccalaureate degree in Secondary Education. With this degree, I became certified in K-12 CTE Business/Marketing as well as Secondary English. 
• I have been working in the educational field since 2012. First, I worked with special needs children at Desert Star Elementary in Goodyear, AZ. At Desert Star, I was mainly a one-on-one interventionist. Then, I moved to Imagine Elementary in Avondale, AZ. There, I was a K-8th reading interventionist. After a couple of years, I took on a position in the Dysart District as an academic intervention specialist at Valley Vista High School. I worked as a co-teacher for students struggling in Algebra as well as Standard Based English. This is where my official teaching began. I became a certified English teacher for the Dysart district. Now, I look forward to returning to Desert Edge this year as a teacher and mentor for all students who are willing to learn and grow into successful young-adults.