Fundamentally, science is an act of wonder. With the inspiration to seek, one begins to learn science. I hope to provide the inspiration.”
Nicole’s Story
As an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, Nicole was a human physiology major on track to pursuing a career in health care. Eventually, her love of science led her to teaching. Nicole credits her coursework and opportunities at Virginia Tech for affording her many valuable teaching experiences. Nicole held a teaching assistantship with the Biological Sciences Department at Virginia Tech, where she instructed three sections of the freshman biology laboratory each semester. For her course work, she completed a student field study at a rural Southwest Virginia public school, where she taught high school biology and ecology to a diverse student population. This opportunity allowed her to become fully immersed in the public education system. “These experiences have reinforced my desire for teaching science, and have helped me to build a strong foundation to become an effective and successful teacher.”
A graduate of Silverton High School, Nicole went on to receive a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oregon in 2006, and a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction in secondary science education from Virginia Tech in 2010. She has been awarded numerous scholarships, including the English Family Teacher Education Scholarship, the TEACH Grant and the Resident Dean’s Scholarship, four years in a row. An avid web contributor, Nicole often posts lessons to a technology applications blog and her own website, nicolelien.weebly.com.