For Women’s History Month the Liberty Science Center blog is highlighting women working in STEM at the Science Center. Our hope is that their stories will inspire young girls and women all over New Jersey to consider a career in the STEM fields.

As a kid, I was either running around outside or indulging in nerdy science books about animals and astronomy. I was relentless with questions and thrilled every time I discovered something new outside. My love for sciences dimmed throughout my years in school, as I sat in too many dull classes that focused on memorizing vocabulary and answering textbook questions. I still devoured popular books about sciences and relentlessly quizzed my mother and father about local wildlife, but I rarely felt excited about my science courses. Fortunately, one teacher changed all of that, teaching ecology through riddles, stories, current events, hands-on labs, and field trips. I was hooked again.

I planned on working in environmental fields after graduation, but that changed. When I was a teaching assistant, I was lucky enough to take students on field trips, showcasing the geology of the Rocky Mountains and the ecology of the shortgrass prairie. I loved teaching in the outdoors and engaging students in discussions. I decided to make the jump into education, in the hope that I could make learning about the natural world meaningful and engaging for the next generation of students.

As a teacher, I loved planning labs and projects for my students — I always wanted them to feel that science class was about exploring, questioning, and discovering. Now, I get to work with teachers on inquiry-based instruction, so that their students get to experience hands-on investigations and activities.

This job combines my love for science with my love for education, and I get to investigate and learn new things every day! I think we need more female teachers and professors in STEM fields, so that they can inspire young women to pursue STEM careers.

Women’s History Month blog by Lauren Morse. Lauren is a Teacher Programs Developer here at Liberty Science Center.