About Me
I have been teaching Life Science, Biology, and Environmental Science for in Tri-Valley Jr/Sr High School located in Hegins, PA since 1992. Over the years, I have enjoyed sharing my passion for science and lifelong learning with generations of Tri-Valley grads. I specialize in herpetology (the study and care of reptiles and amphibians), and have over 30 different ‘residents’ (mostly reptiles) in my classroom. I am also an active presenter at regional and state teacher conventions and nature festivals, and am active in many service and youth organizations in my community.I am also a self-professed ‘travel junkie’. I have been fortunate enough to travel to many educator workshops, gaining professional experience in Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, Costa Rica, and South Africa.In the summer of 2011, I was accepted to the Toyota International Teacher Program’s first inaugural trip to South Africa, funded by Toyota Motor Sales and the Institute for International Education. I discovered the rich cultural and biological diversity there, but also saw discrepancies in educational quality, vocational skills, and job opportunities. Since then, I have partnered with Mark Gamble of Aspire Youth to develop an educational and vocational module that empowers South African youth in poverty with the education, skills, and training needed to develop a small scale business of to bringing photovoltaic power to households which lack access to electricity.In the summer of 2015, I was offered a grant through Fund for Teachers to return to South Africa in order to help launch Kwelanga Solar, a youth-led enterprise of making and supplying solar lanterns to those experiencing energy poverty. To read more about my return to South Africa, see my blog athttp://southafricansun.edublogs.org/
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