HCOM graduate travels country in 'skoolie'

of 14 years, Amber (Bowles) Quiñonez (B.A., Humanities and Communication, 2002), has joined the board this term.

2002

Kate (Ammerman) White (B.A., Social and Behavioral Sciences) has earned a doctorate degree in education and is employed as director of continuing education at California State University, East Bay.

2011 and earned a master’s degree in comparative culture. She also married, had two boys and started working as a teacher at universities in the cities of Tokyo and Chiba. She currently teaches at the International University of Health and Welfare, a medical university in Narita, Japan.

1999

Shawn De Haven (B.A., World Language and Cultures) went to Japan in

Christina McGovern (B.A., Liberal Studies and Teaching Credential) has

been an educator for 22 years, teaching all levels from elementary to postgraduate students aspiring to become teachers. She recently moved back to the Monterey area and is employed by the North Monterey County Unified School District as a middle school English and social science teacher. She is also working with the Youth Cinema Project, which connects arts integration in education with her passion for theater. She has worked with The Western Stage theater company in Salinas for more than 20 years.

Phillip Pletcher (B.A., Teledramatic Arts and Technology) recently became lead agent

in technical support for Capital Insurance Group, where he’s been employed for 24 years. He was recently widowed after serving as primary caregiver for his partner for more than 18 years. He is writing again after a 16 year hiatus. He won first prize in the early 2000s in the Rhode Island Institute Screenplay Contest.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE! Share news of your activities and achievements. Go to csumb.edu/alumni Select News, then Submit a Class Note and fill out the form.

HCOM graduate travels country in ‘skoolie’

Elizabeth Hensley atop the school bus she and her partner converted into a tiny home.

Elizabeth Hensley (B.A., Human Communication, 2016) is taking the road less traveled. After earning a master’s degree in American Studies from Kennesaw State University in Georgia in December 2018, she and her partner, Richard Tilford, decided to eschew a traditional lifestyle and travel full-time in a school bus converted into a tiny home. Their goal is to explore the country, live sustainably, better

understand American culture and write a book about their adventures.

They purchased the bus, a 1996 Thomas International school bus, in April 2018 and spent the summer turning it into a home on wheels at a cost of about $10,000 for the bus and conversion. The bus includes solar power, laminate flooring, black-out curtains, a porta-potty, electric pumped water, a kitchen area and a bed. They dubbed the bus “Little House on the HWY” after the classic book “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

As of August of this year, Hensley and Tilford had traveled more than 19,000 miles across 37 states, attending tiny house and “skoolie” (converted school bus owner) festivals and expos along the way.

Everywhere they go, they attract attention and field questions from the curious. The couple says they practice an open-door policy and are happy to give tours to visitors. They’ve been featured in stories on the radio, television and in newspapers, including on the front page of the Orange County Register.

Find them on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and visit LittleHouseonTheHwy.com to learn more.

HCOM graduate travels country in ‘skoolie’

Elizabeth Hensley atop the school bus she and her partner converted into a tiny home.

Elizabeth Hensley (B.A., Human Communication, 2016) is taking the road less traveled. After earning a master’s degree in American Studies from Kennesaw State University in Georgia in December 2018, she and her partner, Richard Tilford, decided to eschew a traditional lifestyle and travel full-time in a school bus converted into a tiny home. Their goal is to explore the country, live sustainably, better

understand American culture and write a book about their adventures.

They purchased the bus, a 1996 Thomas International school bus, in April 2018 and spent the summer turning it into a home on wheels at a cost of about $10,000 for the bus and conversion. The bus includes solar power, laminate flooring, black-out curtains, a porta-potty, electric pumped water, a kitchen area and a bed. They dubbed the bus “Little House on the HWY” after the classic book “Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

As of August of this year, Hensley and Tilford had traveled more than 19,000 miles across 37 states, attending tiny house and “skoolie” (converted school bus owner) festivals and expos along the way.

Everywhere they go, they attract attention and field questions from the curious. The couple says they practice an open-door policy and are happy to give tours to visitors. They’ve been featured in stories on the radio, television and in newspapers, including on the front page of the Orange County Register.

Find them on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook and visit LittleHouseonTheHwy.com to learn more.