Noyce Scholar Profile
Nicole Roark
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Middle School Education (Math, Social Studies)
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Math, Social Studies, grades 4-9)
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Ohio University SEOCEMS
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior
School and school district:
Internship - Northern Local School District
Background:
I’m a mother of two wonderful boys ages 5 and 13, and have been married for six years to a great husband. I was in the banking industry for over 15 years. I was able to make F.H.A, Rural Development, and V.A mortgage loans.
Why do you want to teach:
I would love to give back to my community and help students figure out that they can do anything they set their minds to. I want them to have that light bulb moment in my classroom. This is something I have wanted to do since I was a little girl, and my dream is finally reachable.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I have just finished a case study focusing on a boy who will be in the 5th grade. He currently reads at a 1st grade level and doesn’t like to read at all. I really got to know him in the six weeks of my study and found out that he LOVES Math. I decided to pick out books for him that involved Math, and he really enjoyed them. He thought he had to be a fast reader so the kids would not make fun of him. I told him that this was absolutely wrong, that I would rather he read slowly so he could comprehend what he just read. He really liked this advice.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
I was like a kid in a candy store when I received the news that I had been accepted into the Noyce Scholarship Program. This scholarship means so much to me and my family. First, it recognizes all the hard work I have done over the past three years. Second, it takes stress off my husband who has been working so much overtime to help keep us above water since I do not work; I’m a full-time student and full-time mother of two. Third, this scholarship will help me find employment when I graduate because the Noyce Scholarship is a good reference on my resume.
