Heather Light

Tell us why you became a teacher

I have always wanted to be a teacher. My dad, a lifelong science teacher, instilled in me a passion for teaching. I would often go to his classroom and play with experiments and tools, exploring why things work. I knew I wanted to become that same passionate educator that he is. Watching a student's eyes light up when they make connections is the best feeling in the world.

Tell us about your most memorable teaching experience

My most enjoyable teaching experience was during our solar system unit. We were a science inquiry narrative of students taking a field trip to a planetarium. My students had the hope we might be going to a planetarium ourselves, but we don't live near one. I reached out to our local observatory and was able to get a blow up star dome to come to our school. Watching their faces gaze up at the planets in awe was one of the most gratifying experiences of my career.

What would you do with the $25,000?

Our school is a neighborhood school, but as teachers we came together to pursue a STEM focus. We don't receive any funding from our district to promote STEM in our school. Our teachers dedicate their own time and sometimes money to make STEM happen for our students. We put on community events to show our students they can follow their dreams to a STEM career. I would love to give our school the resources to enrich our vision of a STEM rich school.