Major: Religion

Minor: Chemistry and UFTeach

Graduate: 2013

I grew up in Saint Lucie County, Florida and attended an excellent magnet school where I fell in love with science. My favorite class was chemistry and my chemistry teacher had a great impact on me. In high school I played sports and was very involved at my church. Upon coming to the University of Florida I entered the UFTeach program as a freshman, joined a Christian sorority, got to travel to Uganda where I helped teach math and reading at an orphanage, and was able to work as a peer mentor and an intern at the Florida Museum of Natural History. I began my UF career as a Chemistry major but graduated in May of 2013 with a bachelor of arts in religion and minors in chemistry and UFTeach.

I have wanted to teach since I was in high school. My father is a high school math teacher and spoke very highly of his profession and had such joy for his job. I knew I wanted to come home from work everyday as happy as he was. When I started the UFTeach program I instantly felt at home in a classroom. My favorite part of the UFTeach program was my apprentice experience at Westwood Middle school where I taught 6th grade Earth and Space Science with Mrs. Elizabeth Burt. My favorite memory from that class was watching my students do living biographies of scientist. I got to see the curiosity that drove my students to research and choice a scientist, and then the hard work and dedication they spent on preparing presentations as well as the attention students gave to one another and the depth of questions they asked one another out of a desire to learn. Moments like this have only reassured me more that teaching truly is the greatest profession in the world.

The Noyce program has been a huge blessing to my post graduate life. After graduating in May the Noyce program has provided me with a wonderful learning opportunity at the Florida Museum of Natural History which is better preparing my for my career in teaching. The program has also been a huge financial blessing to me and my husband as I await a teaching position in the Fall. Without the Noyce program I would be forced to have an unrelated summer job that would not prepare me for teaching.  Instead I am able to intern at the same museum I have worked at for the past year and a half as I apply and interview for middle school science teaching positions here in Alachua County.