After an internship in high school working at a natural history museum and teaching wildlife programs, I found I had passion for teaching kids about science and the world around them. As I went through college and student teaching, that passion extended to working with kids to be the best they could be for themselves, not just for a grade or accolades. I love teaching and seeing students grow academically, but I also LOVE guiding them on how to be good people and stewards of our world.

I use the animals in my STEM lab to teach kids about respect for all creatures, and how every living thing is connected in some kind of ecosystem. I love watching kids interact with our ball python, and realizing that these animals don’t have wear the title of “villain”. I love teaching about the work pollinators do, and watching our garden to help alleviate some of the fears they have of bees. And I love hearing students say, “I had so much fun today!” after a really cool science activity 😁

I would expand our pollinator garden and raised beds, make improvements to our chicken coop, work to get a grow lab up and running for hydroponics, and create more raised beds for food production. I want students to see the importance of knowing where their food comes from, and how every small part of an ecosystem works together to succeed.