Not all of our amazing students go on to the Ivy League. One girl’s parents didn’t even go past the fifth grade. She has three older siblings, and only one graduated from high school. She has struggled, and her parents can offer little support. She has spent many days in my classroom explaining how she wants to take the path of least resistance. I encourage her and help her through her times of self-doubt. Mary has been accepted to campuses in the California State University and University of California systems, and I am just as proud of her as I am of any of my future PhDs. She progressed from English-as-a-second-language classes in middle school, to our International Baccalaureate program, an advanced honors program, as a senior. I know that Mary will make a huge difference in the lives of others.

I’d be lying if I said every day isn’t a challenge. I arrive at Tracy High at 6:15 a.m., two hours before the start of the regular school day and 45 minutes before the beginning of my biotech class, a special course I developed to teach students core biotechnology skills. Keeping 25 sophomores, juniors, and seniors busy in an environment where mentoring is important demands lots of coordination. One group of students could be making agar with antibiotics added, while another pours and runs gels, while yet another uses a real-time PCR machine. When the bell rings, the regular first period begins and seniors who are in their second year of a two-year advanced biology course swarm in. They might be studying evolution or bioinformatics, or looking at protein sequences to make cladograms. During any given day, I teach five classes with an average of 30 students per class. And as every teacher knows, the workday never really ends. When I get home, I read lab reports, prepare lectures, update the class website, write letters of recommendation, and get ready for the next day of class all over again.

The success of my students convinces me that teachers can make a difference. What has enabled me to be effective, I believe, are the connections I have forged with the industry in which graduates are likely to seek employment. I have developed friendships and partnerships that keep me up to date on new developments and skill sets that would be of best benefit to the students in my classes. I have done internships in which I have worked in a lab right alongside researchers. I have ongoing partnerships with both Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Bio-Rad. They have not only provided me with training opportunities, but have also looked to me to help guide their efforts in developing quality educational opportunities for students in middle and high school.