Noyce Scholar Profile
Derek Salinas
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Geology / Mathematics
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Science and mathematics, grades 6-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Hawai'i Noyce Teacher Scholarship (HiNTS)
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
N/A
Background:
I originally grew up in Sacramento, CA. A lot of my interests growing up included skateboarding, building computers, playing alto saxophone, and general science. When I finished high school, I took some time for myself and worked for a while as a club DJ and case analyst for the commission on teacher credentialing in California. Eventually I felt it was time to go back to school. When I did, I decided to attend University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) for Geology and Mathematics. My focus in those schools are Math Education, Volcanology, and Geospatial Information (GIS).
Why do you want to teach:
I first really started to feel interest in teaching through my experience as a Mathematics tutor here at UH Hilo. It really was not an avenue I considered when I first attended UH. After tutoring for a couple years, I realized that I felt an enormous sense of enjoyment and satisfaction in being able to help students understand a subject that i enjoy so much. For me, teaching felt like the natural path in my life to take. Not just to satisfy my personal gratification, but as a way to give to a community that has given me so much opportunity. Teaching is a wonderful chance to pass on my love and knowledge of mathematics to others.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
Update on experience to come!
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
Well, so far it has meant an amazing opportunity to continue my education as a mathematician and an educator. I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I feel to my professors and the NSF for providing me with this scholarship. I’m rather new to the program, and I’m excited to see what there is in store as time progresses.
