Stephanie Burke has a unique reason for becoming a science teacher: she didn’t originally like science.
“It’s a subject I struggled with as a child,” Burke said. “I was told I would never do well in the field. So I went and got a degree in it.”
That determination led to her receiving the Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teaching. The Derry School Board celebrated Burke’s achievement at its Nov. 12 meeting, and the state will fete her at a special dinner Dec. 11.
Because of her early experiences, Burke said, she wanted to make science “friendly and approachable” for children. “They can get too caught up in the ‘terms,’” she said. She received an undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire, followed by a master’s from New England College.
Burke attended the meeting along with her husband, Joseph; her principal, Leslie Saucier of West Running Brook Middle School; and assistant principals William Fox and Lorrie Belinsky.
Laura Nelson, superintendent of School Administrative Unit (SAU) 10, welcomed Burke and her guests. She noted that Burke was one of only three award recipients in New Hampshire.