Noyce Scholar Profile
Tara Connelly
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Management Information Systems
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-8
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Pacific University
Current academic or teaching status:
Currently in MAT Program
School and school district:
Woodburn (OR) School District
Background:
I majored in Management Information Systems (MIS) and pursued a career as an IT Project Manager, starting at a large corporation, Schneider Electric (once American Power Conversion) for a few years. I then continued my career as a Project Manager for a small insurance firm in downtown Boston for approximately five years.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I find a deep need to help students find their motivation and desire within their education path, so they can find and act on their true calling in life. I may not reach every child who enters my classroom, but I will show my care and concern for each student to the best of my ability.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Math was always a struggle for me until I had, of all things, a Calculus teacher help me see the beauty and amazing ability of Math. I never thought I was excellent at the subject, so I cut my work short whenever I used to do Math. Once I saw the effort that this high school Calculus teacher (Mr. Zambrano) put into each student who showed their desire to excel, I saw that I too had the ability to learn Math as much as I wanted to and apply this logic in a career of my choice.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
It means everything to me. I literally moved across the country to pursue this program to work with these students in the Woodburn district and learn all I can to teach Math with passion and on an angle for students to truly like Math.
