Noyce Scholar Profile
Jennifer Prins
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Education
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: High School Chemistry
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of California, Riverside
Current academic or teaching status:
1st year M.Ed./teaching credential student
School and school district:
Valley View High School, Moreno Valley Unified School District
Background:
I got a B.S. in biochemistry in June 2010. I am married (7 years) with two daughters, ages 5 and 3.
Why do you want to teach:
It’s what I love to do. I love chemistry, and I love helping people understand what I love. I love being in a high school classroom; I loved most of high school, and I’m excited to be around the people who are currently going through high school. I love that I might be able to make a difference in the life of someone who is still shaping his or her life.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Once I was helping a girl in a high school chemistry class. She was a sophomore or a junior, and she just did not understand chemistry the way her teacher taught it. Most days, the teacher lectured for about half the class, then they worked on worksheets the rest of class. This particular day, the student was not working on her worksheet, so I went over and asked if she was done or if she needed help getting started. She said she needed help, and I helped her. She understood my explanations, and told me, “You’re so much better than the teacher. I never get it when he says it, but when you say it, it makes so much sense.” It stands out in my mind because it just made me feel so good to help someone who would have otherwise fallen through the cracks.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
It’s helped with my financial aid. This year, I am doubling my current educational debt to student teach and get my credential. Without Noyce, I would be almost tripling my current educational debt.
