Hello My Name Is...
Mrs. Rita YoKell
I was born in Baltimore, Maryland but I grew up in Hawaii and loved every minute of it. It was a wonderful learning experience. I was able to be a part of many different cultures in the biggest melting pot of the United States. I carry the knowledge and belief that it is indeed a great country that we live in. If you visit my classroom, you will see that I've brought a little of the "Aloha" spirit to share with my students.
This will be my 26th year of teaching. I taught 2 years in Hawaii, 1 year in Maryland and this is my 23rd year in Colorado with Douglas County School District. I have been at Mesa since it opened in 2008 so this will be my 14th year. Through my teaching career, I have taught many subjects including history, science, language arts, health and wellness and computer technology. I have always had a passion for history whether it is about American history, the history of computers or the history of our world. I especially like to hear stories from my students about how they and their families history fits into our world. One of my favorite quotes comes from The Bregdan Principle..."Every life that has been lived until today is a part of the woven braid of life. It takes every person's story to create history. Your life will help determine the course of history."
I live in Golden with my husband and our dog, Marlee. We live in our mountain home with 11.5 acres of forest. My daughter is married and lives in Texas, my son is an Addiction Counselor in Phoenix and my two stepdaughters live in Boulder and are both in college at CU Boulder getting ready to graduate in December 2021.
I enjoy reading, cooking, rafting, hiking and skiing with my husband as well as spending quality time with my family. I also like to play MahJong with several of my girlfriends. I love to travel and learn about new places. Most of my travels have been across the United States visiting historical locations. My other travels have lead me to Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg. I have also been to Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, Cozumel, Mexico and the American Virgin Islands. I hope to share those experiences and many others with you.
Reading is a passion of mine and so in my free time I read on my Kindle. During the pandemic, I read 90 books from March of 2020 through August 2020. This summer, I took on the challenge again to see if I could beat my record. So starting from March 2021 through August 2021 I have read 100 books.