Maren Anderson
Department: Science, Teacher
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Personal Information
Biography
Drew School Science teacher and alum (Class of 2003), Maren Anderson has worked at Drew for four years and been involved with activities ranging from Global Initiatives to DEALL trips in Texas to summer travel with students in Senegal and the Galapagos.
What is your favorite memory as a student at Drew? Why?
My favorite memory was getting into the water in Hawaii with my advisor, Amy Lacks, while we were on a summer program in Oahu. We were getting our "snorkeling introductory lesson" and I remember getting in the water and being in complete awe at the fact that I was 'in class' and working to understand an environment I had spent almost no time in. The sea cucumbers, the coral, the schools of fish, were unbelievable. They were enough to hook me on Marine Biology for life, and I've never looked back.
How/why did you become a teacher? Were you inspired by one of your own teachers?
I became a teacher because of my love for talking about science. Some people call it being a 'total marine science nerd,' I call it doing what I love. In high school, my science teacher, Amy Lacks, made me realize how taking something you love and talking about it with other people was the best way to learn and solidify your own understanding. I love having a job that constantly challenges me on a variety of levels, and really encourages me to be the best educator I can be.
What is your favorite DEALL trip? Why?
My favorite DEALL trip that I led was in Beaumont, Texas, working for Habitat for Humanity. A lot of the summer school and DEALL options that I have offered have been marine or biology related, and getting to do something outside of that realm was exciting. Travelling with 20 students, all for the purpose of helping out a community we have never gotten to experience before was exciting, and very eye opening. The actual physical work we accomplished was fulfilling, however, it was really seeing a variety of types of students working together and seeing how they rose above and beyond anything I could have imagined them doing. It was amazing to see them in such a different situation and really see the each of the things that makes them individuals, really shine.
What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is The Red Tent by Anita Diamonte. I read it in high school, and have re-read it about seventeen times since then. I'm not a very religious person, but experiencing biblical stories from a very different perspective was riveting.
What are you currently reading?
Besides Biology lab reports and Marine Biology species reports? I am reading Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman. It was a gift from a friend as I started training for my first half marathon.
For you, what makes Drew special?
The way that it feels like home. Everything about it takes you in, makes you feel comfortable and encourages you to be the best person you can be. It's amazing that I can say my workplace does that for me. I think that each student here is so lucky to be able to have this kind of environment to learn in, and I'm even luckier to be able to teach here.
University of Colorado, B.A.
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
