Why Gifts Matter: Scholarship Support Allows Bethany Lee to Share Love for Science in the Classroom

In high school, Bethany Lee was torn between a number of different career paths until her chemistry teacher, Kerissa Armstead, showed her the interdisciplinary possibilities of science education. 

“There’s the reading and writing, the scientific literacy skills, to be able to read journal articles and write lab reports,” said Lee, a science education and applied nutrition double major. “Of course, there’s the math, with all the graphs and tables, and then just creativity that you need to ask questions. That’s why I’m drawn to science specifically, instead of teaching something else. There are so many things that go into a science class.”

After graduating from Franklin Early College High School, Lee first planned to take a gap year and work, but then she was named a Goodnight Scholar, which opened the door for her to attend NC State. 

“I knew that NC State was one of the top schools in the country for STEM education,” Lee said. 

In addition to being a Goodnight Scholar, Lee is also a recipient of the College of Education’s Paul and Geneva Jenkins Scholarship honoring Dr. Estelle White and Raymond Edwards and the Diana G. and James L. Oblinger Scholarship. This support has helped her cover her bills, focus on academics and become the best science educator she can be.

“Scholarships are so important, especially in education,” Lee said. “Scholarship donors are not just helping us out as students; they’re also funding our creativity and our research and innovation as we figure out what we’re going to do in our classroom for our future students. Really, it’s a chain reaction of paying forward.”

What Lee has enjoyed most about her time in the College of Education is the opportunities she has received to grow as a teacher and spend time with students. 

“When I first started college, I didn’t know how long I would last in a classroom, but, through my field work, I’ve been placed with some veteran teachers and being with them has made me think, ‘Oh, I can do this,'” Lee said. 

Last fall, she observed in an AP Biology class at Athens Drive Magnet High School and, in the spring, helped teach biology to ninth graders at Leesville Road High School. 

“I was a little nervous at first, but they were so nice and polite, and I enjoyed it a lot, that and the idea of being able to work with other science teachers and being really excited about figuring out the best ways to teach science,” Lee said. 

In addition to the time she spends in the classroom, Lee has also enjoyed the sense of community she’s found in the College of Education, especially with her fellow science education majors.

Last semester, Lee served as the president of the National Science Teaching Association Preservice Teacher Chapter at NC State. During that time, she organized a science teacher version of “The Price is Right,” set up a resume building workshop and did a craft night where she and her fellow future teachers made science-related Shrinky Dinks. 

“Some people did a key chain of a beaker or a flask, because they want to teach chemistry, and one girl did the Krebs cycle,” Lee said.

They also traveled to the National Science Teaching Association’s 2024 Denver Conference, and, in May, they were named club of the year. During the College of Education’s Spotlight Awards Ceremony, Lee was named club representative of the year.

Lee hopes the experience she is gaining in the College of Education will allow her to create exceptional educational opportunities, like she had at Franklin Early College High School, when she enters the classroom. 

“Every student deserves at least one teacher who sees them for who they are and pushes them to be their best,” Lee said.