Noyce Scholar Profile
Dylan Russell
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Phyiscs
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Physics and Mathematics, High School
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Middle Tennessee State University / Noyce Physics
Current academic or teaching status:
Undergraduate Student
School and school district:
N/A
Background:
During the first three semesters of college, I was not interested in math or science at all. I was a journalism major who had a natural ability for writing but with little direction on how I was going to turn it into a career. After taking a reporting class, I knew that the high-stress and highly unpredictable field of newspaper journalism was not for me. Luckily, I was simultaneously taking an astronomy course that quickly became my favorite class. It was more challenging and interesting than any of the classes within my major, and I knew that I had to make the switch over to science.
Although I was interested by the world of astronomy and physics, I had very little confidence in my mathematical ability since I struggled with the subject in high school. After settling with chemistry for a few semesters, my fear of math disappeard after I took Calculus 1 and did very well. This was the final push I needed to major in physics. After taking 2 semesters of nothing but math and physics classes, I’ve never been more interested in the courses I have completed and am looking forward to the ones I have yet to take.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach because I feel like it is the most important thing I can do with my degree. I know that by becoming a math and physics teacher, I can build the analytical and problem-solving skills of students. By doing this, I hope to encourage students who would otherwise never condsider careers in math science to pursue careers in those fields.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
N/A
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has allowed me to focus completely on my classes without having to work a part-time job at the same time. Since I switched my major so late in my college career, I still have about two years of coursework to complete before I obtain my degree. Each year will almost entirely consist of upper-division math and science courses that require hours of study time each per week. If it was not for the Noyce program, I would not be able to devote the time and effort needed to succeed in these demanding classes.
