Zachary Merrick
I have grown up in a home with education as a priority. Teaching runs in my family, as both parents are teachers and I have various aunts and uncles in the education profession. With my father and mother as teachers, I have learned various techniques on how to approach certain problems or ways to help those students that are really struggling. I have also learned that as a teacher, you constantly need to be ready for every class period before the day starts, and I believe that I can do that.

I have also had some experience in teaching students. I have tutored many peers at our school through a tutor program we had and have helped many classmates and teammates with their studies. I am also a certified swimming lesson instructor, so I have some training in working with students. Teaching students something they don’Äôt understand is a challenge. But I have been able to experience this challenge and work it out, and the feeling of seeing someone you helped succeed is a feeling that I enjoy.

The most important thing that I have learned is that every student is different and that every class will be different. This difference in classes and students will give me a chance to learn and make myself better as a teacher and person. I believe that I have the right qualities to become a teacher, and am eager to pursue a career in chemical education.

Carrie Ostraat
As I have journeyed through my academic career thus far, my goals have altered slightly. Through one academic major change and much thought, I am now quite certain of my career goals - to become a high school chemistry teacher. Three main reasons for this ambition come to mind. I want to use various tools to make chemistry understandable to my students. Growing up, so many of my peers found anything related to math or science awfully hard and boring. I would love to make these disciplines become clear and relatable to life for students.

Instilling in students a certain enthusiasm for learning about how the world works is a goal I have. I enjoy learning how things work at an atomic level and believe this excitement will come out in my teaching as well.

Aside from teaching this specific subject, I would like to be a role model and positive influence in the lives of my students. I remember a few of my high school teachers and the life lessons I learned from them. Teachers play such a significant part in shaping students’Äô interests and values; I would love to be a player in impacting the next generation.

So as I reflect on why I want to teach high school chemistry, I find I desire to give to my students. I want to give students what they need to succeed in chemistry, an excitement for learning, and much encouragement as individuals.

Zachary Merrick
Hello, my name is Zachary Merrick and I am going to be finishing my freshman year in college an am one of the ceipients of the Hach Scholarship. I have taken chemistry 112 and the lab in the fall semester and am currently taking chemistry 114 with the lab this semester. So far, I have taken many general classes towards my chemistry major and am planning on trying to get a secondary education degree and a physics minor to teach high school chemistry and physics if needed. I was going to try and finish my major before the spring semester of my junior year so that I can then concentrate on getting my secondary education degree as quickly as possible as well as my physics minor. I would like to thank everybody who has been a part of the selection committee for choosing me as recipient. Thank you and I hope to be a very good teacher with the educational opportunity you have given me.