In order for the US to remain competitive, teachers must prepare students with the necessary knowledge and skills to become contributing members of American society.”

Adrian’s Story

Before pursuing teaching as a profession, Adrian literally worked as a rocket scientist. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, he was hired to work as an engineer at ATK Thiokol—the company that manufactures rocket boosters for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition to his day job, Adrian began to tutor struggling high school students. He credits this experience with the development of his love for teaching. Upon selecting teaching as his desired profession, Adrian enrolled in the Stanford Teacher Education Program to learn how to become an effective classroom teacher.

As a chemistry and biology teacher working in the San Francisco Bay Area, he aspires to connect science to the “real world” in a meaningful way. Over the next five years, he hopes “to collaborate with peers who are dedicated to improving science education.”

In his spare time, he likes to play tennis and snowboard. Adrian also enjoys experiencing different cultures through travel, having visited six of the seven continents.