Jason Bush

Jason began his route through higher education studying theater. Fascinated by the power of storytelling and stories as a reflection of the cultures in which they were produced, he pursued a BA in Theater at UCLA, an MA in Theater Studies from California State University, Northridge, and a Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies from The Ohio State University. During his graduate study he became fascinated with the diverse and vibrant cultures of Latin America, doing extensive fieldwork for his dissertation on indigenous Andean performance on the global stage while living and traveling in Peru. When he returned to the United States to finish writing his dissertation, he found a job teaching Spanish at the university level. At that moment, Jason fell in love with language teaching. He has spent the past ten years teaching all levels of Spanish at various Bay Area independent schools. He even got another masters degree in Spanish literature along the way. He is excited to teach English and Spanish at the School for Independent Learners as an interdisciplinary humanities scholar connecting a number of years of studying and teaching another language and culture with a fascination with and lifelong study of the power of language and storytelling to reveal fundamental elements of cultures across the world, explore the roots of tension and conflict, and connect us to our common humanity.

Outside of teaching, Jason likes to spend his time traveling, cooking and exploring the cuisines of different cultures, discussing politics and global issues with friends and family, and walking on the beach and in Bay Area parks.