Noyce Scholar Profile
Elizabeth Pawelka
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Master's of Arts in Teaching
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
North Carolina State University
Current academic or teaching status:
Final year of graduate school
School and school district:
N/A, but I have volunteered at Apex High School in Wake County School District
Background:
I got my B.S. in Computer Science at North Carolina (NC) State several (many!) years ago and worked for IBM up until about two years ago. I then decided to start my second career as a teacher and am currently getting my Master’s at NC State to teach high school math. I am married and have three children, all high school and college ages.
Why do you want to teach:
I have always had the desire to teach in the back of my mind, and feel I have a good rapport with high school age children. I’ve always enjoyed both math and English, but I chose math because it is a high-need area.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I am pre-service, so I really don’t have a teaching experience. But I did volunteer this summer in a program at Apex High School where I taught math to a group of upcoming freshmen. During the last session, one of the more “troubled” kids asked me if I was going to teach at this school because he really wanted me as his math teacher. That meant so much to me, and I really look forward to having a positive impact on these kids during these most impressionable years.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
I’ve just started the Noyce program so I look forward to the resources and support that I know will be there for me. Also, the financial support has been very important to allow me to pursue this second career while unemployed.
