I'm a San Diego transplant, originally from New Your City. My family and I moved here about 10 years ago so that my husband and I could take advantage of the thriving Biotech community. Before that, my husband and I met in graduate in Buffalo, NY and after graduating, moved to Munich Germany to complete our first Postdoc appointments. After four years and the birth of our first son, we moved to Philadelphia and both settled into our second Postdocs. Just as I was about to have our second son, we decided to accept a job offer for my husband in San Diego. About a year and a half after our move, I started working in Biotech as a Molecular Immunologist. I researched therapeutics for a number diseases such as prostate cancer, Alzheimers and systemic bacterial infections. My career was exciting and challenging and although I throughly enjoyed the Science, over time, I began to enjoy teaching and mentoring much more than "doing" the Science. I came to realize that I love the challenges, rewards and partnerships that come with teaching. With every interaction, I witness growth not only in someone else but also in myself. As a Science teacher, I am constantly challenged to look at things in a new way, with fresh eyes, not just how I know them to be. I have to put myself in the shoes of someone else, to best understand how to help them explore and learn about the world around them. One of my favorite parts about teaching Science to adolescents is helping them uncover and explore the nature's hidden worlds. Looking behind the scenes and figuring out how everything works is a passion that I believe is empowering. When you know how something works, you are more likely to understand how it relates to you and the world, and you are better positioned to fix or improve it.