The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program

NSF
NSF
  • Home
  • The Program
    • NSF Noyce Program Directors
    • NSF Noyce Program Solicitation
    • Consider Becoming an NSF Noyce Principal Investigator
    • Become a Noyce Scholar or Teacher Leader
      • Noyce Scholar Profiles
      • Noyce Alumni Profiles
    • Voices From the Field Videos
  • Project Locator
    • Select from Map
    • Advanced Search
    • Submit Information
  • In the News
    • In the News
  • Meetings
    • 2022 Noyce Summit
    • 2021 Noyce Summer Events
    • 2020 Virtual Noyce Summit
    • Archived Noyce Summit Materials
    • Noyce Regional Meetings
  • Resources
    • Noyce Track 4 Research Book
    • Proposal Preparation Toolkit
    • Noyce Project Videos
    • Noyce Summit Abstract Catalogs
    • Reports
    • Toolkits
    • ARISE Research Community
  • Contact

Casey

RETURN TO SCHOLAR LIST

Noyce Scholar Profile

Casey Harl

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: BS in Computer Science, Masters in Secondary Education

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: 8th grade math/Algebra

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar

Name of Noyce institution:
University of North Texas

Current academic or teaching status:
7 years teaching experience

School and school district:
Lake Dallas Middle School/ LDISD

Background:

I graduated with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in mathematics from Texas A&M University. After 15 years in the corporate world, I was laid off. I decided I wanted to make a difference more than a dollar, so I enrolled at UNT’s post-baccalaureate teaching certification program. I was awarded the Noyce scholarship in 2006 and ultimately received my Masters in Secondary Education from UNT in 2010.

Why do you want to teach:

I was called to be a teacher.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

My entire educational philosophy can be summed in one sentence that I learned while I was a manager in my previous corporate employment: “People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” This was solidified by a young man from my first year of teaching. He was really being difficult in class the day after missing an important lesson. He blew up and stormed out of the room. When I asked him about his behavior, he responded, “My dad got arrested this morning.” He had missed the previous day of school because he was in the emergency room after receiving a beating from his father. I realized he was struggling with far larger problems than 8th grade math, so I cut him some slack after taking the time to find out the root cause of the behavior. The next year, he came back and asked me to tutor him in Algebra, not because of what I had taught him in 8th grade math, but because he knew I cared enough about him to help him. Four years later, his dad sent me a picture message of his first college algebra test. He made a 103!

I have never forgotten the lesson he taught me.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

It changed my life … literally. The Noyce scholarship allowed me to fulfill my dream and my calling. I had a wife and three children when I got laid off. We could barely fulfill our financial commitments during the 6 months I was out of work, much less have afforded to pay the cost of certification as well. It also funded half of my masters degree, so it really did change my life and my earning potential. Thank you!!!

What’s New

  • 2023 Noyce Summit
  • 2022 Noyce Summit
  • Noyce by the Numbers: 20 Years of Noyce
  • Proposal Preparation Webinars
  • Frequently Asked Questions for the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
  • Become a Noyce Scholar or Teacher Leader
  • Consider Becoming an NSF Noyce Principal Investigator
  • Noyce Alumni: Where Are They Now?

Check out our ARISE website for research & opportunities!

Checking In

NSF

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant Numbers DUE-2041597 and DUE-1548986. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

AAAS

The World's Largest General Scientific Society

  • About Noyce Program
  • AAAS ISEED
  • Subscribe to ARISE
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
© 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science