EBHS - Staff -Mr. Menkens

Mr. Menkens

I was born and raised in New Jersey, where I lived until the Fall of 1995. Having made the decision to move to Massachusetts, much to the chagrin of my parents, I moved and settled in Boston. I attended Boston University and majored in European History. I chose this academic pathway because I had an interest in humanities and history. While at Boston University, I worked at the Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS pharmacies. In fact, I received the pharmacy department's G.E.M. (Going the Extra Mile) award working as a technician in the pharmacy department at the Brigham and Women's Hospital. I was pleased to receive with this award because it recognized outstanding professionalism in the field of pharmacy. As a result, I developed an interest in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.

In Fall 1999, I graduated cum laude with a degree in history at Boston University. Still interested in pharmacy, I applied to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy- Boston (MCP) for admission in Fall 2000. I chose to purse the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I was very successful in this program. In fact, I made the Dean's List during Fall '02 semester with a 4.0 average and also achieved a 3.55 (out of 4.0 average) during the Spring '03 semester. I was pleased with this type of performance and graduated in Spring 2003.

Within six months of graduation from MCP , I got a call from a college (because I had posted my resume online) asking me if I would be interested in teaching Pharmacy Technicians, Nursing Assistants and Medical Assistants. I expressed interest and got the job. I taught all aspects of their curriculum such as Pharmacology with special emphasis on Therapeutics and Practical Medical Laboratory skills. I also took the initiative to create, change and improve their existing curriculum. I got a lot of credit for my creativity and knowledge. In fact, I received a number of teaching evaluations that commended me for my 'excellent' work. In one of these teaching evaluations, I scored a 96 out of a possible 100 from the college which runs these programs. I found that had a passion for teaching science and encouraging students to think critically about important science issues. My enthusiasm and dedication also made me an effective mentor and role model to both colleagues and students. For three years, I held an instructor position. I was dedicated and committed to maintaining high standards and providing the highest possible level of instruction. This experience was very rewarding and advanced my knowledge and understanding of the education profession. As a result, I enjoyed the work and felt ideally suited to be an educator.

In spite of my accomplishments and recognition, I maintained a strong desire to become a licensed teacher. In fact, my college work experiences encouraged me to continue to learn and cultivated an interest in going back to school and achieving a Master of Education degree. The reason I chose to become a secondary school science teacher is because I truly have a passion for the field. Given my experience teaching science based courses, I found that I enjoyed working with high school students because I could encourage them to learn and think critically about science and science related issues. In fact, I chose to specifically teach in the urban high school environment in order to facilitate important science education to the students and the community. It excites me to have the opportunity to build the knowledge base and self-confidence of these students and provide a valuable service to the community. I believe I have made a difference by finding new creative ways to reach these young students, especially those who may need extra care taken with learning science, and at the same time serve as a mentor and positive adult role model.

For five years, I have been an extremely motivated and determined high school teacher. In fact, my professional teaching experience along with my proven academic background, interpersonal skills, strong work ethic, and drive have enabled me to immeasurably add to classroom instruction, practical laboratory work and college preparatory training. My students are routinely some of the best in the city of Boston and have placed for two years running among the top finalists in various science competitions. I care about my students as individual human beings, their growth, and their educational needs. I have demonstrated to them that a very strong commitment and honest hard work leads to good character, high integrity and success. This is the example that I have provide for them. As a result, I have achieved a wonderful feeling of satisfaction.

Mr. Menkens

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