Noyce Scholar Profile

Regina Mitchell
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: K-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Winthrop University/WISE program
Current academic or teaching status:
senior
School and school district:
volunteered with Boys and Girls Club
Background:
I am an African American, non-traditional, first-generation college student from a low- income family.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to touch the lives of others on a regular basis so that I may help them to reach their full potential.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
During my years working as a tutor while attending college myself, I met a bright young lady that had a very difficult time in her courses. This student studied for hours but was still unable to retain the information. She told me that she thought that there was something wrong with her. After asking her some probing questions and paying attention to her body language, I felt that she was an auditory learner. So, I asked her to read aloud when studying, record her lectures, and play the lectures back instead of re-writing notes and reading flashcards. It worked! She aced the course and also improved her grades in other courses.
This experience stands out in my mind, because something as simple as correctly determining a learning style made a world of difference in this student’s life.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
…Everything. New friends. A supportive network. The opportunity to continue my education and make a difference for a lifetime.