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Desa

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Noyce Scholar Profile

Desa Lavrusky

Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Master of Arts in Teaching, Mathematics

Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12

Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Master Teaching Fellow

Name of Noyce institution:
Boston University

Current academic or teaching status:
1st year graduate student

School and school district:
Practicum at Framingham High School

Background:

I earned my undergraduate degree in math actuarial science at Penn State. While there, I was very interested in teaching and spent my summers working at a science education camp in Pittsburgh. After graduation, I joined corporate America and worked for 3 years at a large insurance company. My teaching instinct came back in full force when I was asked to teach a professional development class for my peers and six months later I was enrolled at Boston University.

Why do you want to teach:

I am so excited to share my love for mathematics with my students. I have worked in the insurance field where strength in math can get you major recognition and success. I hope to build that strength in my students.

Describe a memorable teaching experience:

After teaching my professional development course, a peer approached me to thank me for the class. They said they had struggled with the material and my class finally brought the understanding they were looking for. I felt more pride in that moment than I had ever felt in my career.

What does the Noyce program mean to you:

Noyce has made this transitional point in my life so much easier. Even though I was relieved to have discovered my passion for teaching, I couldn’t help but be concerned over the financial obligation of going back to school. The Noyce program has eliminated my concerns and allowed me to focus on what’s important: the education I am receiving at Boston University, and how I will utilize it to be the best teacher I can be for my future students.

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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.

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