Mr. Cimeno, my HS teacher, believed all students were capable of anything they put their mind to. He saw in me things I didn’t even know were there. Because of him I am the first person in my family to ever graduate HS, let alone go to college. I became a teacher to pay back the gift Mr. C gave to me. I strive to see the good in my students and convince them it is there, just like Mr. C did for me those many decades ago. His legacy is present in every class I teach, even to this day.

I bite my tongue while my students explore. If I see their reasoning taking them in wrong directions, I ask questions to point out why that direction is off, and let THEM find their own way. The process, and knowledge becomes theirs alone; something that they have worked for, and becomes part of their integrity and validation of themselves. It is at that point in time that I realize I have changed the world...one student at a time, because I gave them the tools to think for themselves.

I would love to purchase a Star Lab so my students could create a Space camp for all students to cycle through at the end of the year. We could allow students the opportunity to not only cycle through, but also run stations that talk about aspects of space and end with the Planetarium experience. Run by the students, this event would empower them and inspire those who cycle through it. We could also train other teachers so they could borrow and inspire even more great minds.