Hello all!

Thanks for being here! My name is Troy Salazar and I am the founder of Liberty SDLC. I’m really excited to start this next chapter of my life by introducing Liberty Learning Center to the education community.

I’ve spent the last 20 years in public schools and it’s been quite a ride. The first two years of my career I spent as a second-grade teacher in the beautiful rural community of Earlham, Iowa. From there I moved to Des Moines Public where I’ve been ever since. I’ve held many positions and worked in a lot of buildings while I was at DMPS. I started as an elementary education teacher and ended my time with them as a secondary Gifted and Talented Consultant. In between though, I spent time as a middle school special education teacher, both a middle school and high school guidance counselor, as well as an elementary Gifted and Talented Teacher/Consultant.

After my time in public education, one thing is more clear to me than ever… Public Education doesn’t work for a lot of kids. In fact, it can unfortunately be a stressful and even harmful experience for some kids. This next chapter of mine is about serving those kids and giving them an alternative option where they can be celebrated and flourish. Welcome to the rapidly growing movement of Self-Directed Learning!

Hello, my name is Ethan Rose. I am 22 years old. I was born and raised in Waukee. I graduated from Waukee High School in 2018. While there, I played baseball, football and ran track. I also played hockey for the Des Moines Capitals. Hockey was by far my favorite sport! I really enjoyed the camaraderie of sports and I am still really good friends with many of my teammates today.

I’ve always loved physical activity through sports and then when I took Anatomy my senior year, my love for the body really sparked! It was so intriguing to see how the human body works and how intricate each process is that keeps our body running properly.

My interest in human physiology propelled me into studying exercise science, health and human physiology at the University of Iowa. There, I studied more about how the body works, what things must be done to maintain a healthy body, as well as behaviors behind making healthy life decisions. I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at the U of I. After graduating from Iowa, I started Genesis Health Club here in town to put all my new knowledge and skills to practice.

While at Genesis, I have trained many clients and formed many relationships in the process. As of now, I am a Certified Personal Trainer and will be pursuing to further my education in the exercise and nutrition fields. As you have read, education has been a huge part of my life. That is why I could not say no to the opportunity to work with kids in helping them to find their passions and to assist them in gaining the education they determine they need and deserve!

Who’s talking about Liberty?

For more about who we are, check out our recent appearances in the media.