Lighting Peanuts on Fire

Aside from Mrs. Frizzle in the show the Magic School Bus, I attribute my fascination with the sciences to my 8th grade science teacher Mr. Morken at Alex W. Spence TAG Academy. Before him, I saw science as a mere learning of dry facts about the world around us. Somehow he was able to bring these facts to life. He used a lot of imagery. I clearly remember spending time on the concept of homeostasis in regards to health and comparing it to an air conditioner system. We built various 3D atom models, constructed bridges, and lit peanuts on fire in order to understand that they held a source of energy measured in calories. This spark of intrigue allowed a simple Hispanic girl like me, whose parents never studied past the 6th grade, the motivation to major in Biological sciences at SMU and further pursue dentistry as a career at Baylor College of Dentistry.