MassTeach

Hi everyone! My name is Haley Brault. I went to Holyoke Community College and received my associate’s degree in Biology in 2019. I am now a transfer student at Westfield State University looking to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology and a certification fin secondary education. As a curious and observant person, I am naturally drawn towards science. To me, knowing how living things work and function is intriguing. Biology and other sciences are based on the principle of constantly questioning what is happening around you, and I feel that I already possess that level of inquisitiveness. I have so much knowledge to share, which is why I have gravitated towards teaching. I joined MassTeach because it is challenging to become a teacher and to be a teacher, so having a support system behind me is and will be extremely helpful. With a growing shortage of STEM teachers, I feel inspired to step up and be a part of the group of future educators ready to instill change for the future of our country. I am excited to see what teaching teaches me. I am also eager to inspire future generations of students to pursue what they are passionate about- whether that be STEM or not. 

My name is Mark Brown, and I am an early admit MassTeach Scholar who is planning to start in Fall 2020.  I am a nontraditional student who is currently studying at Holyoke Community College and working towards becoming a high school math teacher.  After this year, my plan is to transfer to Westfield State University to complete a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a secondary license to teach.  

I have always loved math, the love of which was only rivaled by my enjoyment of chemistry.  After working in the retail world for several years, I decided to go back to school.  I have found that over the years, I enjoy helping people to learn and to incorporate that into my new career path.  After a great deal of deliberation, I finally settled onto becoming a math teacher and thus far couldn’t be happier with my decision.  Math is puzzles written in numbers and one of the building blocks to pretty much everything in the STEM world, and I look forward to sharing that joy and wonder with others.  I applied to MassTeach because I knew I wanted to be a high school math teacher and MassTeach offered me aid in doing just that; you don’t need to fit into some special category, you just want to teach STEM. I liked and appreciated that.  What I’m most looking forward to as far as MassTeach goes is meeting others with a similar mindset and intent.  

My name is Karen, and I am majoring in mathematics at Holyoke Community College and plan to attend Westfield State University in Fall 2020.  Before starting at HCC in 2017 and being actively involved with STEM Starter Academy, I earned my GED in 2013 through the Massachusetts Career Development Institute (MCDI).  Currently, I am a member of NSF-S-STEM Scholars and a peer mentor for STEM, representing and inspiring underrepresented students majoring in STEM.  My interest in STEM started when I learned that mathematics holds the most imperative roles in everyday life because it is instrumental in developing problem solving and critical thinking skills.  I am very passionate about STEM because it has inspired and founded so many new and exciting discoveries in the universe. I applied to MassTeach to inspire future students to pursue STEM so they can also experience the possibilities that STEM offers.  I strongly believe that educators are born to make a difference. My career choice will give me the opportunity to inspire, make change, and give back to the community.

Hi, I’m Jay. I currently study chemistry and secondary education at Worcester State University. I transferred to WSU in the fall of 2018 after graduating from Quinsigamond Community College with an associate degree in chemistry, and I still work for QCC as a lab technician and chemistry tutor! My interest in STEM has many roots, evolving from a love of and curiosity about nature, a desire to understand and work towards solutions for human illness after my mom’s death due to cancer, to a belief in the use of science and technology to help solve some of the great issues facing humanity. I was particularly drawn to chemistry due to the breadth of the field, and I find satisfaction in understanding what the world is made up of and how it works. I applied to MassTeach because I’m excited about my field and am drawn to work that helps people but wasn’t sure about the direction I was taking. The program ended up being a great opportunity to explore a path that I didn’t necessarily think of as an option before hearing about it. As a prospective teacher, I’m excited to share my passion for science with my future students and see what it’s like on the other side of the classroom!