Noyce Scholar Profile
Samantha Ogilvie
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, General Science, grades 7-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Vermont
Current academic or teaching status:
Graduate Student
School and school district:
Union 32 High School
Background:
I attended the University of Vermont and obtained my Bachelors of Science in microbiology and molecular genetics. After graduation I decided to continue my education in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at the University of Vermont after experiences I had as a teaching assistant and residential adviser.
Why do you want to teach:
I am passionate about life science, which started with the fantastic teachers I had in both high school and college. I hope to share this passion with my students, and although I know that every student won’t love science, I hope I can make science interesting and relevant to their lives and help them better understand the world around them.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
At the end my student teaching unit about genetics I included a couple of lessons about current discoveries and controversies within the field. One of the topics we covered was genetically modified foods. The following day on of my students who had done poorly during the previous semester of biology and was frequently disengaged in class brought in articles from the Burlington Free Press about the genetically modified food debate in Vermont. Inspiring one of my students to pursue learning outside of the classroom was a particularly memorable moment for me.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce Scholarship Program has provided me with the resources I needed to pursue a career in teaching.
