Getting to Know Ms. Neil: ACP’s Newest Addition
The start of the second semester always brings a plethora of sweaters and jackets with it as January boasts as the coldest month in Arizona. However, the start of the semester brought ACP something better than a bout of cold weather: a new addition to our teaching staff.
Ms. Neil, who teaches honors biology and investigative science, is happy to be part of the ACP family. With a B.S. in Biology and a Ph. D in Plant Biology, she has been teaching a wide range of students for almost 20 years.
To better get to know Ms. Neil, I asked her for an interview to which she gladly accepted:
Q: Have you always wanted to teach biology/science? Why or why not?
A: I love biology and all science (physical, social, and life), really. I am very excited about understanding how things and life work, and I have always been eager to share and talk about it.
Q: When did you know that you wanted to become a teacher?
A: During undergraduate school. I took a job tutoring at a local community college; I really loved helping other people understand their topic as well as learning about how people learn.
Q: What university did you attend? Are you an Arizona native?
A: I moved to the Phoenix metropolitan area when I was in 6th grade and have been here ever since. I attended ASU.
Q: What extracurriculars did you participate in during high school?
A: My high school did not have many options, especially anything that really interested me, such as gardening, food, cooking, and making things. But, I did participate in Academic Decathlon.
Q: What biology topic do you love teaching the most? Why?
A: My first love is ecology, but I really enjoy teaching all biology topics. I can always seem to find something really interesting or related to everyday life that makes it all fascinating to me.
Q: How do you like ACP so far?
A: The ACP community has been very welcoming and I am very happy to have become a member.
Q: What is something that students would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I have an agroforest microfarm (by modern standards) in which I grow many fruit and nut trees, chickens, ducks, and one turkey.
Thank you to Ms. Neil for cooperating with us for such a splendid article! ACP wishes you a great first semester!
