Noyce Scholar Profile

Hallie Spears
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology, grades 9-12
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of South Carolina
Current academic or teaching status:
Junior
School and school district:
Hand Middle School
Background:
I am a student at the University of South Carolina (USC) and in the Delta Delta Delta sorority. I am originally from Charlotte, NC. I went to North Carolina State my freshman year and transferred to USC my soph0more year where I declared my major to Biology.
Why do you want to teach:
I have always wanted to be a teacher and am excited to be able to work with children and instill in them the love of science that I have. I was a swim teacher and a life guard in high school. Being a swim teacher was one of the things that really made me realize my love for teaching and how rewarding it is to see a child grow.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
The most memorable teaching experience was when I was teaching a two year old how to swim. When I first met him, he was scared of the water and mainly only putting his head under. When we finished, he would jump off the board and swim all the way to the shallow end. It was such a rewarding feeling to see how proud he was to show his mom how far he had come.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has given me a chance to do what I have always wanted to do which is to show children how much fun science can be and hopefully inspire some of them to go on to be the doctors and scientists who make a difference in the world.