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!