A teacher is but one villager that helps raise the child.”
Mers’ Story
Teaching Disciplines
Chemistry
Why Chemistry
“Chemistry was what I felt most comfortable and competent in since I majored in it, but through my teacher educator program, I fell in love with learning about chemistry and how chemical structures and properties really are the reason for so much of scientific phenomena.”
Professional Experience
Prior to working in education, Mers worked as a scientific researcher for the Metabolomics group under the Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics Department at Genentech. Mers also integrated their passions and love for mentorship through working as an artistic director for the 4N01 Dance Team.
Mers will be teaching biology at Latitude High in Oakland, California, during the 2023–2024 school year.
Hobbies
Mers enjoys dancing, specifically in the “Old Way Vogue” style—a style originating from black and brown queer and trans people. Additionally, Mers integrates volunteer work with the QTViệtCafe, a cultural healing hub that aims to uplift and heal Queer-Trans Việt people through ancestral foodways, arts, and intergenerational connections, in addition to their involvement with Viet Unity, an organization that focuses on anti-deportation work for previously incarcerated individuals.
Academic Background
- University of California, San Diego (Bachelor of Science in Environmental Systems – Environmental Chemistry)
- University of California, Berkeley (Master of Education)