Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge."
Carl Sagan
My name is Alyssa Wallace and currently teach 10th grade biochemistry at Del Lago Academy, a shiny new biomedical science magnet school in Escondido, CA. I recently earned my M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction concurrently with a single subject teaching credential in Chemistry at the University of San Diego.
Starting in high school I have always loved working with children. My first Summer after high school graduation I was a Girl Scout camp counselor and loved the feeling of helping and teaching children. I received my B.A. in Chemistry from the USD in 2011. In my undergraduate experience I had the opportunity to bring science to students through a variety of events and programs including Expanding Your Horizons, the San Diego Science Festival, volunteer work at the Bayside Community Center, as a biochemistry instructor at the Elementary Institute of Science, and a position as a general chemistry tutor and supplemental instructor at USD.
In the professional realm, I conducted research on DNA structure with Dr. Tammy Dwyer and Dr. Deborah Tahmassebi. Following graduation I worked as a quality control analyst at a pharmaceutical contractor but always maintained the desire to be a teacher. My philosophy is that science should not be constructed as something in which only the smart can succeed. Having conducted both academic and industrial research I have observed a huge discrepancy in the way science is performed and the "by the book" way taught in middle and high school classes. I want to bridge that gap and bring my experiences as a researcher to the classroom.
*Currently Alyssa lives in San Diego with her husband and fluffy tuxedo cat, Leonardo DiCatrio. She loves jigsaw puzzles, anything Disney, playing outside, and is very proud of the fact that she can do arm balances in yoga class. Alyssa can often be spotted riding a baby blue moped around the suburbs with 5 bags of groceries precariously balanced on all sides.
Starting in high school I have always loved working with children. My first Summer after high school graduation I was a Girl Scout camp counselor and loved the feeling of helping and teaching children. I received my B.A. in Chemistry from the USD in 2011. In my undergraduate experience I had the opportunity to bring science to students through a variety of events and programs including Expanding Your Horizons, the San Diego Science Festival, volunteer work at the Bayside Community Center, as a biochemistry instructor at the Elementary Institute of Science, and a position as a general chemistry tutor and supplemental instructor at USD.
In the professional realm, I conducted research on DNA structure with Dr. Tammy Dwyer and Dr. Deborah Tahmassebi. Following graduation I worked as a quality control analyst at a pharmaceutical contractor but always maintained the desire to be a teacher. My philosophy is that science should not be constructed as something in which only the smart can succeed. Having conducted both academic and industrial research I have observed a huge discrepancy in the way science is performed and the "by the book" way taught in middle and high school classes. I want to bridge that gap and bring my experiences as a researcher to the classroom.
*Currently Alyssa lives in San Diego with her husband and fluffy tuxedo cat, Leonardo DiCatrio. She loves jigsaw puzzles, anything Disney, playing outside, and is very proud of the fact that she can do arm balances in yoga class. Alyssa can often be spotted riding a baby blue moped around the suburbs with 5 bags of groceries precariously balanced on all sides.