Noyce Scholar Profile
TJ Bongiorno
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Secondary Education/Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: High School/Math
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Marquette University
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior/Third Year of college
School and school district:
Carmen Academy of Science and Technology in Milwaukee, WI
Background:
I grew up in Brookfield Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. I was and am a very active person, playing sports throughout my life particularly, baseball, football, and now roller hockey. I went to Riverside Brookfield High School in Riverside Illinois. I always valued my teachers especially in science and math. I have always had a passion for both subjects.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I want to provide the same excellence that my teachers had given to me to my future students. I feel such a passion for mathematics that I believe I could instill the same passion into many students using interesting and very educational ways. I am very excited to start on the path towards becoming a teacher.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
The most memorable teaching moment that I have is when I was being taught in high school. I was in geometry class and I was complaining about how much writing the proofs took. My teacher pointed this out and in a very hilarious fashion, pointed out how much writing is involved in math the higher you advance in your studies. I realized this year how right he was.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has been a sort of saving grace for me. Before discovering this program I was very confused as to what I wanted to do with my life. After finding out about what I could learn and become through this program, I knew that teaching was the path for me. Since then, I have felt nothing but passion towards achieving my goal and becoming a teacher.
