Noyce Scholar Profile
Pamela Gschwind
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Towson University
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Harford County
Background:
For the past 6 years I have been employed as a Registered Veterinary Technician. I have been in school working on my Bachelor’s Degree for 4 of those 6 years, and am very excited that I will soon be starting on a new career endeavor. I live in Harford County, MD with my wonderful husband, Paul, and our daughter, Pria.
Why do you want to teach:
I always joke and say that I want to teach because I want to change the world. There’s a lot of truth to that statement, though. I care very much about the current state of our environment and about the movements that are happening to better our world. As a teacher, I really want to share knowledge about the natural world that surrounds my students everyday. I want to help them to understand how they interact with and affect the world. In a way, what we do as teachers everyday can help to change the world. By educating young minds, we send more individuals out in the world that can help make a difference. As teachers, we will help to change the world a little everyday.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
When I was working on my degree in veterinary technology, I became friends with two women who were working toward nursing degrees. They both were in my A&P class and were having some trouble with the coursework. I was doing pretty well in the class, so we decided to form a study group to see if I could help them with the concepts they found difficult. I showed them all the things that I did to remember what was said in class and also showed them how I organized my notes. By the end of the course, both of my friends ended up with excellent grades and said that they couldn’t have done it without me. Both also told me that I would make a great teacher. I didn’t give it much thought at the time, but that experience was one of several that steered me toward my current ambition.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Noyce has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to network with some of the most caring and talented individuals who are already in the field or will be there shortly. It’s an honor to be a part of this community.
