Noyce Scholar Profile
Paige Taylor
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Biology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Biology and High School
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Fifth year or post-baccalaureate Noyce scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
University of Northern Colorado
Current academic or teaching status:
First Year Teaching beginning Fall 2014
School and school district:
Practicum at Conrad Ball Middle School
Background:
I am 32 years old, married, and a mother of a beautiful little girl. I started working when I was 12 years old babysitting and tutoring younger children. I started working at Wendy’s when I was 16 years old. When I graduated from high school, I attended Mesa State College, in Grand Junction. I went there for two years and worked at Wendy’s during breaks from school. I moved back home to work full time (40-60 hours a week) and attend CSU. I graduated with a biology degree in 2004. When I started at Wendy’s, I was a basic crew person and through the years was given promotions based on my performance. When I graduated, I was asked to become a General Manager for the new store we were going to open in 2005. I was manager of the year for the next 6 years. During that time I also earned an “Every Customer Counts” award. Out of more than 5000 stores, we were in the top 110 and top 2% in the nation. I ended up leaving there in May of 2012.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to become a math and biology teacher. I want to enhance my student’s current skills that they can apply to real life scenarios. I want to encourage and develop alternative learning methods. Previously at Wendys, I was not only a boss to high-risk youth employees, but I was a mentor and successfully impacted their lives in a positive way. I will go above and beyond in showing my students that an educator does not have to just fulfill a list of job requirements, but can impact their lives and make them engaged and curious learners. In addition, when I teach I want to inspire the next generation to achieve great things and I want them to leave behind a lasting impression of their own.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
In high school I had a biology teacher who was excited and enthusiastic each and every day in class. She interacted with us and made lessons interesting. It was not a classroom, but a place where I was allowed to be creative and explore new information. The class was so different from other classes I was taking because of the way the information was taught to us. I not only hated missing this class but learned so much more information because her passion made me have passion and in turn it was not hard to learn.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program is important to me because it has enabled me to start my journey in becoming a teacher. Without it I would not have been able to attend school. Something so simple as this scholarship has changed my life and in turn, will change the lives of many more.
