A teacher’s role is to help students become their best selves, which includes creating a safe space for risk-taking, social development, and exploration. Teachers should allow students opportunities to discover and understand themselves, while also introducing them to new perspectives they never would have considered. All the while, providing them with the skills they need to take on the world and shape the future.”
Alex’s Story
Teaching Discipline
Physics
Why Physics
“Physics is an awesome discipline. It helps us to understand everything the natural world has to offer, from subatomic particles to the grand structures of the universe. Even though it can feel cold and disconnected from humanity, I believe that coming to understand how the universe works is a powerful act that can teach us where we come from and where we’re going.”
Professional Experience
During college, Alex worked as a research assistant at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in La Serena, Chile. He studied the interstellar medium of the Large Magellanic Cloud, our closest galactic neighbor, through optical, narrowband, emission-line survey data.
Alex will begin his first year of teaching at Champaign Central High School during the 2022–2023 school year.
Hobbies
Alex loves music, specifically seeing live performances and collecting vinyl records. Additionally, he enjoys camping, backpacking, and visiting national parks.
Academic Background
- Macalester College (Bachelor of Arts in Physics with Astronomy emphasis)
- University of Illinois, Chicago (Master of Education in Science Education)