Henry Wedler
I was born and raised in Petaluma, California, a small city about 40 miles North of San Francisco. As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by how things work and I have always been interested in learning. Since I am blind, I had to rely on others to describe things to me. When I was about five years old, I really started asking my parents about how everything worked. It was in this phase in my life when I became excited about science. From there on, there has been no stopping my fascination with science and my passion to study it. In high school I had an inspirational chemistry teacher. At first, she was apprehensive about having a blind student in class and I was nervous about enrolling in such a hands-on science class. As the year progressed, however, my teacher took it as a challenge to ensure that I learned chemistry just as well as the rest of the students. After that year of high school chemistry, it became clear to me that nobody could see molecules and that the theory of chemistry was not visual. I then decided to pursue a chemistry major in college.

I am now a junior at the University of California, Davis and plan to graduate with a bachelor's of science in chemistry. Eventually, I plan to become a chemistry teacher. Often, students think of science and mathematics as scary and difficult subjects. As a chemistry teacher, my goal is to make those subjects less daunting and to show students that science is a tool and not an obstacle.

Cara Schneider
I am now in my fourth year, majoring in chemistry at UC Davis, pursuing a career in chemistry teaching. Through internships, I have gained some of the experience I will need to attend a credential program. I spent one quarter helping in a junior high classroom this past year, and I am currently spending time in a high school classroom, which is where I would like work after obtaining my teaching credential. I enjoy getting involved in the classroom by interacting with the students one-on-one and learning the skills required for effective classroom management. I look forward to the day that she can call a classroom my own.

High school chemistry is a subject that is feared by many. However, one of my high school teachers gave me confidence in the classroom and an interest in the subject. My goal is to pass my interest on to younger generations that don't quite have the confidence yet. My realization of the enjoyment I get when teaching came in high school when I tutored other students who were having difficulties in mathematics. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to find the best method that would work for each student and the satisfaction of knowing that I was able to get through to them and teach them something valuable. I honestly feel like teaching is a career that I will truly enjoy.