Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

Meet Noyce Scholar Alex Eklund

Name: Alex Eklund

Grew up in: I'm originally from Woodinville, WA which is right on the border of King and Snohomish County.

Currently Pursuing: I am pursuing a B.A. in Math and a Secondary Education Certification.

Pursuing Certification in: I am going to be certified in Mathematics after this year.

Intended level of teaching: I am planning on being a secondary education teacher working with youth during their sophomore and junior years of high school.

How has volunteering at New Horizon Ministries affected your view of teaching? From my experiences at New Horizon ministries--a nonprofit that strives to help homeless youth--I feel I have gained a better understanding of the plentiful struggles which being poor in America forces upon young people. I also feel I now can't help but see those teens who become ostracized in our school system, like drug users and gang members, as people who are reaching out for help.

Why Seattle Pacific University? At my old high school, Bellevue Christian, many of the teachers who exhibited the most influence on me were SPU alum and I felt that I wanted to be a part of a place that could prepare me to be a positive influence upon the people around me.

How did you learn about the Robert Noyce Scholarship Program? Many of my friends last year received the scholarship and suggested that I try and apply for it.

What has been your greatest challenge this past year? My biggest challenge would have to be late in this last school year looking at my life and realizing that I was living comfortably in who I was though I wasn't who I really wanted to be. So facing that dichotomy then making many changes in my life to work toward being who I want to be has been a huge struggle, but something very worthwhile.

What is one concept you are excited to teach your students? For me, math is something that teaches me about the order that surrounds us as humans in our everyday lives. In that I am really excited to teach my students how all of math, from the formulas to how math has developed itself, points to an underlying purpose in the world we live in.

Any experiences are you currently looking forward to in this coming year? Right now I am really excited to completing my math major in the fall and then starting student teaching in the classroom in the winter. This is going to be a huge time of change, though, I feel, something very worthwhile.