Noyce Scholar Profile
Jill Crookshanks
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Life science, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Northern Colorado
Current academic or teaching status:
7th year in school
School and school district:
Weld County School District 6, Northridge High School
Background:
I was born and raised in a samll town in California and went off to college as a civil engineer major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In my sophomore year, I realized that I was much more interested in life science than in physical science and engineering and switched majors and schools. I went to Cal State Bakersfield and completed my BS in Biology and graduated in 2007. Being too young to start a real job and still not knowing what I wanted to do, I decided to continue my education and completed my MS in Biology in 2009. I then quickly moved to Colorado where I held a couple of different jobs and decided that none of them were really suited for me. It was at this point that I applied for the Noyce Scholarship at the University of Northern Colorado.
Why do you want to teach:
I really want to teach because I want to be involved in students’ lives and be that teacher who gets students excited about science and makes them aware that science is everywhere. I want to be that mentor that students look up to and go to for advice. I realized that teaching was the career for me after holding different science positions after college. Different jobs in science did not make me enjoy it or keep that passion for science that I used to have while I was in school. That made me sad. When I realized that being excited about science and being involved in the community is what I really wanted to do, I understood that teaching is the job that I know will make me happy.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
My most recent memorable teaching experience was taking three sections of Biology students to the Poudre River on a field trip. It was a lot of work looking after 68 young people all at once. I don’t know if I would do it exactly the same way next year, but it was a lot of fun to actually see students involved with nature and science.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has allowed me to be in the position that I am in today. I have been honored to receive this award and will do anything and everything in my power to give Noyce scholars a great name in the teaching community.
