During my summers as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, I had the unique opportunity to work as an entomology assistant. I spent several years working in mosquito and virus surveillance but discovered my true love for STEM education through inspiration from my Botany professor. I have my secondary science teaching certificate from Doane University and my master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. I had the privilege of being a NOYCE Project Serve Scholar during my certification program, where I had a personal mentor and completed professional development to gain a deeper insight into providing equitable science education to my students. I have a passion for working with middle school students, and I really love seeing 8th-grade students become great school leaders as they get ready for high school.