Kids have some awesome movie ideas! I thought to myself while helping a group of students bring their stories to life using stop motion animation during a WMSI afterschool program. WMSI has a wonderful way of encouraging students to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from those mistakes in a positive and supportive atmosphere. I first saw this when I was a science educator and AmeriCorps member with the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium. I joined a WMSI instructor to lead astronomy programs with one of WMSI’s partner schools and found it to be a wonderful experience.

The Ammonoosuc River is beautiful! I couldn’t help but snap a picture as I walked to the WMSI office.

I first began teaching during my time at the University of California at Davis where I worked as a teaching assistant leading laboratory and plant science classes. After finishing graduate school I went to work in agricultural research but continued to volunteer and lead educational programs at Brazos Bend State Park near my hometown of Houston, TX. My passion for sharing scientific knowledge with others eventually led me to accept a position at the Houston Museum of Natural Science where I led educational programs at the museum as well as at their satellite locations including the George Observatory.

Here I am enjoying a winter hike!

Now I’ve joined the WMSI team as a program instructor! During my first week I shadowed seasoned WMSI program instructors as they brought STEM education to students across the North Country through a variety of mediums from robotics and coding to animating a story about a brave little cat exploring the solar system.