Rose Elkins
Since I was a young student, I have always wanted to be a teacher. Throughout my life, school has been a sanctuary to me, a place where everyday I learned something new, and explored ideas and knowledge about the world around me. It was a place to escape to, a place of routine, and a place of peace of mind. That has always been my experience with the education system and it has helped me become who I am today. I have been greatly influenced by my teachers of the past and they have inspired me to become a teacher myself. I want to create a learning environment like the one I was lucky enough to experience and I want to share my passion for learning with students of all ages. I hope that by teaching the sciences I can arose curiosity and provoke awareness of this world and what exists beyond what we can see.

James L. Pearson
The final stages of a six-year career change are close at hand. Formerly a Hollywood sound editor for film and television, my Emmy aspirations have turned to science educational aspirations. This occupational evolution has been an unexpectedly profound experience, and I am anxious to return to the classroom and begin teaching again.

Six years, and a large volume of dihydrogen oxide later, my ever progressing journey brings me to my student teaching internship starting this Winter quarter. Standards-based chemistry objectives are only part of the teaching enterprise. I have found that it is the experiences, the relationships, the students, their parents, your colleagues, and the never ending river of surprises that make teaching such a remarkable undertaking. I am proud of, and pleased with, the path that I am on and look forward to my future as an educator.

Rose Ekins
I am currently finishing my senior year at Western Washington University and will graduate with my Chemistry B.S. degree spring quarter 2009 after completing additional general science education endorsement classes. I will then enter Western's Masters in Teaching program fall 2009 to obtain my Masters in Teaching certificate in secondary education. I then plan on becoming a high school science teacher in Washington State's public school system. I am currently involved in Western's Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education program as a science tutor and I am also performing undergraduate research in improving the curriculum of Chemistry 101 classes at WWU. These opportunities have helped me become involved in working with students in my desired field and have motivated me to continue in my endeavor to teach.

Jason Fortner
With a strong science background and a growing awareness of what I feel will be important for become an effective teacher, I am now ready to pursue the pedagogical foundations requisite to begin teaching. I am very excited about beginning classes at Woodring College (WWU) and pursuing the many opportunities the College provides for learning in local classrooms. After completing my teacher certification program, I hope to teach science at the secondary level. Since the teaching profession has so many opportunities for professional development, I eventually aspire to seek national board certification in teaching.