Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier II Scholar, Student Office Assistant, TTSM President

Becoming a math teacher is my dream. The moment you see a student’s face brighten up when they figure out a math question is such a rewarding experience. I want to be able to experience that every day. Personally, I feel like students right now automatically tell themselves that they aren’t good at math so they shouldn’t even try.  I want to erase that from their heads and change the way they think and approach math. I want them to learn to love math.

My inspiration to want to teach math came from so many different places. The first inspiration I came from one of my best friends. She always told me that when I explained a confusing topic from lecture, I would make things so much more clear to understand. She told me multiple time that I should really consider being a teacher. So that’s when I started to learn more about the pathway and I found SMI.

SIM allowed me to take education 3 and 4, where I got to experience the classroom environment. I know am also in the Scholars program which is giving me the opportunity to stay in the same classroom for an entire year. My mentor teachers in education 3 and 4, gave me the opportunity to teach a lesson, which reassured that I wanted to be a teacher. SMI has so many amazing resources that helped me with furthering my professional pathway. I found that having a peer mentor, who had more experiences was extremely helpful to getting to know my next steps. After having a peer mentor for two years I wanted to pass my knowledge and experiences I gained to the next group of students, which is why I become a Mentor this year.  As an SMI student, I was introduced to TTSM. TTSM has given me the opportunity to grow professionally. I have been an officer since spring 2018, and can easily say that because of SMI and TTSM, I have grown as a leader as well as a person.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Biology

Student Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, NSF Noyce Scholar

I want to be a STEM educator because I think learning STEM subjects is important. STEM offers a different perception of the world, through math and science, and gaining a new set of skills that can be valuable in everyday life. Math and science  is something that is encountered daily, so students should be able to receive an exceptional STEM education.

I was inspired by doing volunteer work. While working with elementary school students, I realized that I felt comfortable in the classroom and enjoyed teaching. I wanted to be involved in the education career while also maintaining a career that involves my major. I realized that being a STEM educator can give me the best of both worlds.

SMI has provided me opportunities and financial assistance to learn and experience the classroom so that I can develop my skills as a future educator. This past year through SMI, I received the Noyce Scholarship. Through the scholarship, I have been able to observe and participate more in the classroom by crafting and teaching lessons on collaboration with my mentor teacher. This scholarship has been challenging, but it has given me a unique experience in the classroom and an excellent insight on the teaching career. I greatly appreciate this scholarship’s opportunities and SMI’s guidance as they have helped me through the steps needed for credential programs and educational careers. 

Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, TTSM Secretary

The main reasons why I want to become an educator is because of my passion for teaching math to struggling students. I am a tutor for an after school program that deals with at-risk children/youth and for a lot of these kids, I am the only one that can help them because the exposure they get in class is not enough and often times, these kid’s parents can't even help them. These parents don't do this out of neglect but rather; they have long hours at work or they flat-out don't understand the material themselves.This inspired me to want to teach math so that I can go into the classroom and adjust my lessons to ensure that everyone is getting the help they need to succeed. The students that are excelling, I want to challenge and push them to try something harder. As for the struggling students, I want to support them as much as possible so that learning these tough topics can come a little easier.

I was inspired to teach by my 9th and 11th grade English teacher, Mr. Harlow.  This teacher made a difference in my life in 9th grade. When I started high school I was extremely nervous and self-conscious about my writing ability. Mr. Harlow helped me overcome this fear by supporting me with extra help. Some of the extra work he did with me involved after-class tutoring and proofreading my essays before I turned them in. This did more than just help me in 9th grade, this has helped me change my entire attitude towards English as a whole. This extra help inspired me to want to do the same for another child. Unfortunately, English is still not my strongest subject, so instead, I went to the field of math where I am much more well-versed.

SMI has helped me by providing me with many resources I wouldn't otherwise have. For starters, SMI helped me with getting into the classroom and this helped me a lot when deciding if teaching was something I really wanted to do. Through the SMI Program, I have been able to conduct observation hours at 3 different school campuses. Lastly, SMI has helped me by connecting me with like minded individuals who are also chasing after the same dream. This is important because, for a first generation college student, this makes a long and treacherous battle seem a little easier to overcome.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Biology

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier II Scholar

My main reasons for pursuing a career as a STEM educator is to help and motivate disadvantaged students in finding science education interesting and less intimidating. As a first-generation Latina, I want to serve as a role model to students. My life experiences have contributed to the STEM educator I want to become, as I understand student’s perspectives n their diverse backgrounds such as being low-income, a minority, and not being a native English speaker. My parents have inspired me because they have always been supportive of my goals with pursuing higher education. They support my career goals of becoming a STEM educator. They have been my role models as they have showed perseverance in the toughest of situations, which is a characteristic I want to model.

SMI has helped me in my professional pathways by giving me resources to enroll in courses for  STEM education that solidified my interests in teaching. SMI has given me several opportunities that include being a participate in the peer mentor program which guided me to take my CSET Science exams. The most valuable opportunity to me is becoming an SMI Scholar.

Class standing: Junior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier III Scholar

My main reasons for pursuing a career as a STEM educator is that I like math, and I want to make a difference in peoples’ lives. Since STEM subjects are not subject areas that are easily mastered, I want to be able to make such subjects more easily accessible, understandable, and relevant for students.

My high school calculus teacher inspired me to become a teacher as he was the one who intervened when I was struggling through school and put me back on the right track, so I want to do the same for other students as well.

SMI has helped create a plan for me to follow throughout my college career, guiding me along the track to being a teacher. From taking numerous education courses to working numerous hours out in classrooms to connecting with many professionals in the field, SMI has given me many opportunities that I would not be able to achieve otherwise.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Role:  TTSM Treasurer

I want to pursue a career as a STEM educator to make learning fun and engaging and to help students build confidence in math. Working as a Peer Mentor at my high schools Peer Mentorship Program inspired me to become a teacher. Being inside the freshman core classes (math, biology, and English) as a college student, I realized I liked working with students and made personal connections with many students. However, I also saw many students who had no motivation to do well in school and some teachers not trying their best to engage all students including the unmotivated students in the lessons. My experience and involvement in high school classrooms has inspired me to become a teacher who can encourage students to have the desire to attend school and I want to create an excitement to learn math. SMI has helped in my professional pathway by providing guidance to entering the teaching career. SMI proves information and resources to prepare for graduate school.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, NSF Noyce Scholar

My main reasons for pursuing a career as a STEM educator is that I want to be able to make a difference in high-need schools, show students that Math doesn’t have to be scary, and to help students of color to excel in subject that, statically, they may feel that they cannot. Growing up in a low-income area, I was able to experience the lack of expertise that the in-service teachers had. This was shown in their teaching styles that did not focus on student engagement. I was able to see how my fellow peers struggled and how this stigma that Math is not fun or that it’s hard came about. I want to be able to help those who grew up in similar situations as me and show them that a “difficult” subject like Math doesn’t need to be feared.

What inspired me to pursue the STEM educator path was my experience within the classroom. Back when I was in Middle School, I had the opportunity to tutor students in lower grades and I enjoyed doing that. It wasn’t until I started doing early fieldwork with SMI and in my education classes that I was able to truly feel the need for a change in the classroom. I was able to observe the good and the bad within a classroom and it makes me feel excited to be able to experience that for myself.

SMI has helped me in my professional pathway by providing the opportunity for me to experience early fieldwork and with just providing me a good foundation for applying to teaching credentials. It is a competitive route and SMI has prepared me by getting me to finish all the CSETs and get a feel for what is expected in fieldwork.

Class standing: Junior

Major: Biology

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Tier III Scholar

My main reason for pursuing a career as a STEM educator is to encourage more students to try out science experiment and love science more because most people are afraid of science. My high school anatomy teacher inspired me to become a teacher because she made our class very interesting and it was very fun when we experienced dissection by ourselves. SMI has helped me experience in-class observing the teacher and keep me on track on finishing my tests.The benefits of peer mentoring for me is that my mentor provides me a lot of extra information I didn’t know about before. For example, like the scholarships and registering for CSET exams early... etc. She also helped me during my EDUC 003 fieldwork and helped me with helping the students in class. Being in peer mentor program is very helpful because not only does it keeps you on track with all the classes and tests, but it also provides you more extra information you wouldn’t know before and guide you with your next step.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Phyiscs

SMI Leadership Role: Peer Mentor

I want to be a STEM educator because it is where I feel students get a feel for what it is they want to do in the aspects of their career or maybe even in their free time researching experiments. With this I mean that in their STEM classes is where they can capture the interest in these principles. I feel that specifically teaching physics at a basic level explains many phenomena that we live through day by day.

The two main reasons why I want to be a STEM educator are inspirations from years ago. The greatest inspiration was a school field trip I took for a week in Houston, Texas to visit the Johnson space center. This was fascinating and I discovered my love for science was to be greater than my love for math. The reason for this is because physics is APPLIED MATH! It’s even better than just solving for x because in physics, all the variables have meaning. My other reason for wanting to be a STEM educator is my parents. They were both raised in Mexico with 10+ siblings and did not have the resources to go to school. However, they taught themselves at home and are extremely smart. I would like to be the teacher that they never had the opportunity
to meet.

The SMI Program has helped me by making me more aware of what is in my near future as I plan on becoming a teacher. The SMI program has also helped me become more involved with peers who also want to become teachers (in my major, I know of no other who’ve expressed interest in teaching). And finally, it has helped me become more aware of the tests needed to get my credentials as well as graduate school information.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier II Scholar

I want to be a mathematics teacher because very few people like math and I think that’s unfair to he subject. There is more to mathematics than meets the eye. Math is the art of creating with numbers and functions. As a future STEM educator my goal is to teach my students how to learn and enjoy math simultaneously, so we can all share the appreciation for the subject. My other goal is to help students see that math is not only present inside the classroom, but also in the world they live in. Most importantly, I want my future students to understand that they can all be mathematicians and that math is not exclusively for the “smart people.”

My College Readiness teacher, Ms. Kawaratani, showed me the impact that a teacher can create in their students’ lives. Ms. Kawaratani always worked diligently to make sure that her students overcame all the roadblocks that stood between them and a college education. As a future educator, I hope to one day impact the lives of my students just as Ms. Kawaratani and my other teachers impacted my life.

SMI has allowed me to work with STEM educators and their students through the field work opportunities provided in Education 3, Education 4, and the Scholars Program. Through SMI, I have had the luxury of receiving guidance from a personal advisor and my former peer mentor. My path to becoming a math teacher has become a lot clearer ever since I joined SMI.

Class standing: Junior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Tier III Scholar

I’ve dealt with a fair share of people in my life say things like “I’m not a math person”, or  “I really hate math.” Throughout middle school and high school, I never had the greatest teachers nor was I the best at mathematics, but the subject always interested me. So my main reason for pursuing a career in STEM education is to inspire other students to enjoy doing what you think is interesting, regardless of if you’re good at it.

My parents inspire me in every aspect of my life, whether academic or personal. They raised me to believe that I can achieve anything through hard work and determination.

SMI has given me so many opportunities that I’m certain I wouldn’t have been able to find myself. Resources, opportunities, professional development events, workshops, scholarships, it’s all here for the future educators of our society.

Class standing: Sophomore

Major: Chemistry

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Tier III Scholar, Student Office Assistant

I love talking about science, and what interests me about it, as well as helping people learn and be good at anything. Both of these go together in teaching STEM, so naturally I really want to do that.  Leslie and the SMI student assistants all inspired me to begin, and once I began I became my own inspiration to keep going. SMI has given me so many resources, that I wouldn’t be able to have gotten so far so quickly without them. With so much help, it’s so easy to get ahead of the game.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Biology

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier II Scholar, TTSM Community Chair

My 9th grade English teacher inspired me to become a teacher. I want to be a STEM educator because I want to show students that regardless of the color of their skin or their gender, they are able to make amazing discoveries as scientists. I want them to see that science is not only in the textbook but all around them and that it affects their daily lives.

SMI has helped me because they have given me the resources necessary to grow as a future educator. I joined the peer mentor program where I was guided on what path to take and from there I joined TTSM which allowed me to make friends and even become a board member. I was also given useful study tips and when it came time to take my CSETs I had one-on-one help.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier II Scholar

My main reason for pursuing a career as a STEM education is to support and educate students in the same manner my previous teachers did.  I would like to encourage and reassure all students that they are able to learn and excel.  Previous teachers have inspired me. My sixth-grade teacher would encourage us to go beyond the standard by providing challenging questions. In addition, she made sure that the environment was supportive for students. Student’s personal lives were supported and she had a connection with the student. Moreover, she encouraged everyone to pursue education. Information was provided regarding programs that would help students on their path to university. My Algebra Two and Pre-Calculus teacher specifically inspired me to pursue STEM. She was genuinely excited to educate and provided a fun environment to learn mathematics in. In addition, she prepared us with more than what was required by teaching college mathematics.

SMI has provided me opportunities to be involved more in the classroom. With the approval of SMI I was able to enroll in courses that provided field work. In addition, with the Scholars program, my yearlong placement allows me to build stronger relationships with the students and my mentor teacher. I’m able to gain more experience interacting with the students, leading the classroom, and understanding the work of teachers. Furthermore, I’m able to strengthen my knowledge by attending professional development events with SMI, such as the Road to Teaching Conference. Finally, SMI allows me to be up to date with information regarding exams, applications, scholarships, and more.

Class standing: Junior

Major: Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Tier III Scholar

Students will remember a teacher as either a good or bad teacher. There is far more to teaching that I had anticipated entering this major, but I have been inspired to continue down this path due to my education courses. Initially, teaching was something I thought I was good at because I was a peer tutor in high school. It made sense to teach the subject I excelled at: math. Teaching started as something I could possible do, but it has turned to aspiration of becoming a good teacher for future generations, impacting their lives in a positive way. My education course’s professors have motivated me to be the best I can be because they structured the class differently than any other class I’ve had in the past. Freshman year, I went through the motions not knowing how to get to my goal, but SMI helped me know what steps I should take.

Class Standing: Junior

Major: Chemistry

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, Tier III Scholar, Student Office Assistant

I want to become a science teacher to encourage more students to pursue a higher education and to possibly join the STEM field. As a second-generation American, I am only able to pursue my goals before my father took the step to become one of the first in his family to get a college degree. I want to encourage students to take that leap and to access a better future through education.

My father inspired me to be a teacher. I grew up helping my father in the classroom as he started his teaching career and I slowly fell in love with teaching along the way. I saw the profound impact a teacher can have on a student’s life and decided that I wanted to have a part in changing students for the better.

SMI has given me mentorship, professional development, and fieldwork opportunities that would have been otherwise out of my reach. The financial and educational resources provided by SMI have given me the chance to broaden my horizons and have given me a competitive edge for when it is time to get my credential. SMI has also allowed me to form invaluable friendships with future educators who constantly motivate me to do my best.

Class standing: Senior

Major: Environmental Science

SMI Leadership Roles: Peer Mentor, Exam Preparation Leader, NSF Noyce Scholar, TTSM Vice President

I want to pursue teaching in the STEM field because I believe that there needs to be transofrmative changes in this country if we are to save ourselves from climate disaster.  I first became aware of the issues of climate change from my own high school science teachers, who encouraged me to pursue science education.  I believe transformative change will happen from the ground up, so working with nation's youth is something very important to me.  I especially want to work with students in low socioeconomic situations to try and secure them opportunities typically denied them by the system.  The disadvantaged will see the most damages from climate destruction and i want to work to help students feel empowered to pursue their dreams in spite of that and have the power to speak up if they so choose.

I've found my passion and skill for education through SMI involvement, as SMI has given me the opportunity to observe and teach in local middle and high schools.  SMI has helped with everything in college from printing papers and course selection to resume building and paying my bills.  I am incredibly thankful for SMI and am so excited to see it grow each year.