Noyce Scholar Profile
Christine Kujath
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: B.S., Anthropology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Earth, Space Science, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Towson University
Current academic or teaching status:
Professional Year in teacher certification program
School and school district:
Intern, Fallston Middle School and Fallston High School
Background:
I was born in Detroit, MI, but grew up in a rural community in Southern Maryland. As far back as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with people and have had a thirst for knowledge. These two aspects of my personality evolved when I entered Towson University as a freshman with a declared major in Psychology. Eventually I switched my major to Anthropology, but kept a minor in Psychology. My anthropological education gave me the opportunity to travel to South Africa for ethnographic research. While in South Africa, I gained an interest in the earth sciences, in particular geology and astronomy. At this point in my education it was too late to switch from a liberal arts degree to a science degree so I followed through with my B.S. in Anthropology. Shortly after graduation, I reapplied to Towson for a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program in Earth/Space science secondary education.
Why do you want to teach:
I have always loved to learn and expand my personal knowledge, which correlated perfectly with my love for anthropology, people, cultures, language, etc. Although I did not go directly into the teaching profession, I knew that it was only a matter of time before I became the teacher and not the student. As a teacher, I want children to know that science is cool; science is everywhere, describes everything and continues to fascinate us with new discoveries!
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I was observing a Senior Earth Science class in a high needs high school. After class ended, most of the students had left the classroom, but one student from the basketball team stayed back to talk with me. He asked me if I really wanted to become a teacher and teach students like him and his friends. I told him that I did. To my surprise, he responded that he wanted to be a teacher too, but did not know how to tell his friends on the team. I encouraged him to follow his heart, and if his heart was in teaching, then he should do it. He can always coach basketball!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has given me the opportunity to follow my dreams. If I hadn’t been accepted into the program, I do not know if I would have been able to continue. It is truly relieving to have financial support and a relief from acquiring further student loan debt. The Noyce scholars are remarkable people, and I am thrilled to be a part of their community.
