IN BRIEF | JEFFERSON TWP.

then graduated from Jefferson Township Jr./Sr. High School on May 9.

LeMichael Phipps received an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. He plans to attend the University of Akron in the fall, with a career goal of becoming a lawyer.

Antwynae Boyd received her associate’s degree and received her STNA certification this past fall. She plans to attend Wright State University and pursue a degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing.

D’Arrionna Calahan and Chanelle Works, seniors at Jefferson Jr./Sr. High School, attended Wright State University while working on their bachelor’s degrees.

Alexis Banks, alsoa senior, was a part of the 3+1 Pathway Program through Sinclair Community College, which allowed her to spend her senior year working on her bachelor’s degree while pursuing her industry certification in medical billing and coding. She received her STNA certification in Spring 2018.

D’Arrionna has been working toward her bachelor’s degree in nursing at WSU. Chanelle has been working toward her bachelor’s in business & exercise degree at WSU and wants to one day own her own gym/recreational center.

All three young ladies received their associate’s degrees as juniors during the 2017-2018 school year through the Sinclair College Credit Plus (CCP) Program, where students grades 7- 12 can earn college credits at no cost to them or their families. Amanda Van Dyke has been teaching for 32 years, 23 of those as a biology, AP biology and biotechnology teacher at Kettering Fairmont High School. A Kettering resident, Van Dyke is a graduate of Urbana University, where she played volleyball, basketball and softball each of her four years while earning a bachelor’s degree in education science. She earned her master’s degree in education science from Wright State University.

What drew you to a career teaching science? I was inspired by my high school biology teacher, Cheryl Craver. She was very challenging and just an amazing teacher. I am very fortunate that she and her husband are my close friends now.

How do you try to foster an interest in the sciences among your students? I have students do a fun lab the first day of school. I try to help the student feel welcome, safe and comfortable to ask for help. I try to help them understand that science is a process that involves making mistakes and learning from them, and I work hard to help students gain confidence. I often ask students multiple questions to guide them through the process of figuring out what the solution is, without just giving them the answer.

You were selected by your peers as Ohio’s representative for the GoodHeart-Willcox Award. What does this honor mean to you? (The GoodHeartWilcox Award recognizes a Health Occupations Students of America adviser who has made outstanding contributions to the promotion, development and progress of the student organization, HOSA-Future Health Professionals.) I was very surprised by this honor, because there are so many teachers that do so much for Ohio’s HOSA organization. It means a lot because I know HOSA provides great opportunities for our students, and I wanted to get more involved to make the experience even better for them.

What is your favorite part about being a teacher? This is a tough question because there are so many wonderful parts about teaching. I love when a student finally understands something that was very challenging. I really enjoy hearing from students after they graduate and hearing how things are going for them. I also enjoy when I hear a student explaining/teaching to another student.

Finish this sentence: “When students finish one of my classes, I hope they Confidence in their ability to learn science, enjoy science and want to learn more!