Robert Noyce Scholarship Program

Meet Noyce Scholar Eric Leaman

Name: Eric Leaman 

Grew up in: Boise, ID
  
Currently Pursuing: Bachelor's in Biology, Secondary Ed certification
 
Pursuing Certification in: Biology
 
Level of teaching: High school

What teacher or professor has been most influential in your life?

Brad Nelson, my chemistry and biology teacher for two years in high school. I absolutely loved his class because he interacted with us in such a unique way and helped bring science alive to me, usually quite literally through dissections or experiments. I've gone back to thank him every time I go home and told him how much I appreciated his classes.

Tell us a bit about your decision to pursue a career in science education? I started out as a pre-med student at SPU, but in the back of my mind I've always wanted to coach baseball as well. After some talking and a little soul searching with Dr. Cindy Fitch, I knew that I had a true desire to teach, and with that profession, I could coach baseball as well!

It was a win-win situation, and as I've been taking several of the education classes and getting more deeply involved with local schools, I've realized that my passion is with teaching high school students. I love biology, and I love teaching others what I know, so this seemed to be the perfect combination for my life.

As soon as I took that first step away from the pre-med track, God hasn't stopped blessing me and opening doors every time I come knocking. It's been a true blessing pursuing a career in science education.

Why Seattle Pacific University? I love the Northwest. I love having every type of terrain nearby, from seaside to mountains and everything in between. The biology and education programs are superb here and that definitely factored in as well. It seemed, and still is, the best fit in my mind for my goals and my needs in a university.

What has been your greatest challenge this past year? I think the biggest challenge for me is just learning how to teach in a different style to accommodate various learning styles.

Just knowing that people don't learn the same way I do isn't enough, being a high school teacher requires me to relate the material to each student in a personal way. It's been a huge learning curve, but I think I've finally started to get the hang of it.

However, being on my own teaching is vastly different from assisting in a classroom, so we'll see what the future holds!
 
What are you most excited to be offering to your students? My brain. Ha ha, seriously though, I'm so excited to spend time with my students and hopefully pass on the desire to learn the sciences, or maybe someday  teach them!

Seattle Pacific has been on the cutting edge as far as education goes, and I feel that my education here has fueled my desire to keep learning new material in the field of biology for the rest of my life.

My parents had to have been annoyed when I was in high school coming everyday and saying, "Guess what I learned today..."

My hope is that I can spark that same "nerdiness"  in my students when I begin my teaching career.
 
Any experiences are you currently looking forward to in this coming year? I begin student teaching this Winter quarter. I don't think I've anticipated something more in my life. It's been such a tease only tutoring and being a teaching assistant. I can't wait!

Anything you would say to someone considering applying for a Noyce scholarship?

I worked at Rainier Beach high school in the Rainier Valley about 6 months before I applied, and it was a pretty tough environment to teach in, but it also presented a challenge, and I wanted the chance to teach someday in a low-income high school similar to Rainier Beach.

The Noyce Scholarship provided that opportunity for me, giving me help this year in exchange for teaching in a low-income area. I couldn't argue with that, since I was getting money to do what I already planned to do. 

If you're thinking about this scholarship, make sure you have the right mind set for it. It's for an individual who's looking for adventure and a challenge, someone that isn't just content with teaching as a career, but it becomes a lifestyle. That's what the teachers in Rainier Beach have taught me, and I believe that to be true around the nation.