Noyce Scholar Profile
Angela Zanchi
Undergraduate major or graduate field of study: Math and Psychology
Subject area(s) and grade level teaching focus: Mathematics, grades 6-8
Category of scholarship/fellowship:
Noyce Scholar
Name of Noyce institution:
Virginia Tech
Current academic or teaching status:
Senior
School and school district:
Blacksburg Middle School
Background:
I am from Chesapeake, VA where I live with my mother, father, younger brother and younger sister. I love to sing, play guitar and play sports, especially soccer and volleyball. Currently, I am a Resident Advisor in East Campbell Hall at Virginia Tech (VT). I am also involved in the math club and was the treasurer for Students Helping Honduras at VT during my junior year. Students Helping Honduras is a non-profit organization which raises money for the people of Villa Soleada, a village that they built down in Honduras. I went to Honduras over the 2009-2010 winter break and had an amazing experience meeting the villagers and completing the water system for the village.
Why do you want to teach:
I want to teach to know that I have made a difference in someone’s life. Teaching is an occupation where you can see someone’s growth, both academically and emotionally throughout a short time. I want to be able to bring math to life for all of my students and hopefully allow them to leave my class with an appreciation for math.
Describe a memorable teaching experience:
I am only a senior in college and have not yet started my student teaching, but I have held jobs in day cares and tutoring that have also led to some interesting teaching experiences. I think the most memorable experience was tutoring a student in Algebra 1 over the summer. She was moving from a private school into a public school and had to take the Virginia SOL to show that she was proficient in Algebra 1 before she moved on to Algebra 2. She was having difficulty with solving certain equations, and I broke it down for her. All of a sudden she had that AHA moment, which may not be a big deal to some, but just the fact that I finally got through to her made me feel great. After that, she did not have much difficulty solving that type of equation. I was so excited that I was actually able to help someone learn, rather than just memorize how to do something.
What does the Noyce program mean to you:
The Noyce program has provided an opportunity for me to reach out into the math teachers’ community. I have been to many conferences and talks that I may never have even heard of or considered before becoming a Noyce Scholar. Going through all of these experiences has opened my eyes and led me to see that teaching is really where I am meant to be in my life.
