Noyce Scholar Profile
Marion Maentz
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biomedical Engineering
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics 7-12th grade
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
UW - Oshkosh/ act! Program
Current academic or teaching status:
Certified but not teaching yet.
School and school district:
n/a
Background:
I graduated with a bachelor degree in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University in 2000. As part of the co-op program at Marquette, I worked for GE Medical Systems. After graduation, I moved to Neenah, WI and began my career with Kimberly-Clark Corp. I worked as a product developer in the feminine care business and later in the Marketing Research department for facial tissue and new health care products. During my time at Kimberly-Clark, I got married and started my family. After the birth of my second child, I started evaluated my career. I felt a calling to the education profession. I was accepted into the act! program (Alternative Careers in Teaching) through UW-Oshkosh. I completed my coursework and subsequently my student teaching at Appleton East High School. I received my certification in Mathematics in WI in June 2009. However, due to my husband’s job situation, our family relocated to PA that summer. I am in the process of obtaining a PA teaching license and finding a job.
Why do you want to teach:
I always knew I wanted a career where I could help others. I spent many years a youth group director at the my church. I especially loved working with the adolescent age group. I learned as much from them as hopefully they learned from me. There were so many teachers from my past who so positively affected who I am today. I knew that education was more than just the material taught to the students. It seemed important to me that there also be a relationship aspect to education. I knew that I really could combine all my passions in life with a career in education. So began my journey.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I wanted to find a way to get my students to remember the quadratic formula. I also wanted to have a little fun memorizing math formulas. I decided to find a song that would help them remember the quadratic formula. I found so many! I introduced several of the songs to my 9-11th grade Algebra students. At first they were apprehensive to sing along but then they all got into it. It was so funny to watch these high schoolers singing the quadratic formula song. The best sound I heard when they were working on their homework was the sound of the song coming from several of the students. It was fun and it worked!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has been such a blessing to me and my family. The cost of education can be a hindrance to many families. In my particular situation, I was not sure how my family would be able to afford to pay tuition and the day care costs while I was student teaching. Because of my Noyce stipend, I was able to cover the cost of full-time tuition and daycare without the additional financial stress. This allowed me to focus all my time and attention on my student teaching assignment and still spend quality time with my family. I am so grateful for that opportunity.
