Noyce Scholar Profile

Makenzie Daniels
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Life Science, grades 7-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Wittenberg University
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior (2013)
School and school district:
N/A
Background:
I am from Hilliard, a small suburb of Columbus, OH. I live with my mom, dad and two siblings. My brother Zac is graduating from Wittenberg University in 2013, and my sister is beginning high school in Fall 2013. I graduated and attended Hilliard City Schools. While at Wittenberg, I have been privileged to be involved in a variety of activities. In December 2012 I traveled to Lesotho, Africa as part of a service trip through Wittenberg. I am involved in Alpha Delta Pi sorority as an executive member, a Head Orientation Assistant, an executive member of Panhellenic Council, a Box Office Manager for the Department of Theatre and Dance, an Intro Biology laboratory peer mentor, a Benham-Pence Student Center Manager in charge of Student Organizations and Class of 2015 Treasurer.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I would like to give back and inspire students the way that I was throughout school. I had incredible Biology teachers who taught me the love of Biology and Education. Through the teaching experiences I have had thus far, I have loved seeing students grow in and out of the classroom and cannot wait to experience that after college.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
A memorable experience in teaching for me was when I tutored a middle schooler in the fall of my freshman year. He did not enjoy Math or English, but I could tell that he was extremely bright. I loved seeing him grow throughout the six weeks and learn to love these subjects and embrace his intelligence.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program means creating teachers who will be extremely qualified in their subject matter and be able to give their students the best experience in the classroom. I am excited to learn how to incorporate research and lab experience into the high school classroom. The Noyce program also means bringing extremely qualified teachers into an area of high needs, for students who do not typically have the best classroom experience.