Noyce Scholar Profile
Nicholas Link
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: MAT, Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, grades K-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
William Paterson University
Current academic or teaching status:
MAT Biology in process
School and school district:
Taught biology, anatomy, physiology at Montville HS; now teaching 9th/10th grade biology at Passaic County Technical Institute
Background:
I discovered teaching by tutoring during my undergraduate career. After graduation, enrolled in the post-baccalaureate program at William Paterson. I am now extremely happy for my decision to become a teacher and love working at Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI). I also am an adjunct at William Paterson for Anatomy and Physiology when I have time during the semester.
Why do you want to teach:
Like I said, it is what I truly love to do. To me, it is not a job…it’s fun!
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I had three students come up to me from Paterson School #7, the school where I did my practicum student teaching two years ago, who are now attending PCTI. They still remembered my name and approached me with such warm and comforting smiles! It seemed that they were relieved to see someone from their past still coming back to educate them. One student even remembered the lesson I did! As a teacher, there is no better compliment and satisfaction than knowing you truly impacted a student’s life, even through simple lessons like how oxygen and carbon dioxide circulate throughout the body.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Financially, it has helped me greatly. It is also comforting to know that there are programs like this that really are all about helping people to become teachers. The support is great.
