Audrey Wong is passionate about two things: biology and teaching. She decided to be a teacher after being inspired by her own high school teachers. Now at Illinois, Audrey is involved in research and set her sights on bringing her love for biology to a new generation of students.
A little bit about Audrey:
Q: Where is home for you?
A: Palatine, Illinois.
Q: What is your year and major?
A: I'm a senior majoring in Biology with a Secondary Education minor.
Q: How did you know you wanted to go into the field of education?
A: I thought about my high school teachers. They impacted my life and inspired me, so I thought, "I want to be one of those teachers."
Q: What do you enjoy about the College of Education?
A: I enjoy the community of educators who are all passionate and enthusiastic about teaching students.
Q: Do you have a favorite professor or course? Why?
A: My favorite course is IB 329: Animal Behavior because Dr. Suarez somehow kept the class interesting even over Zoom, which is a considerable feat, with his sense of humor and cool real-world connections.
Q: What do you enjoy about your campus experience so far?
A: At first, I was overwhelmed by the university size, but once I found my close group of friends, I learned to appreciate everything UIUC offers (various resources, classes, events, services, etc.).
Q: What is a fun fact about yourself?
A: A fun fact about me is that I love lifting weights and dancing in my free time.
Q: Tell us about any research you've done and the mentorship you've received from your instructors.
A: I have researched under Adam Dolezal's entomology lab, where I was an undergraduate lab assistant for one year. Over the summer of 2022, I received grant money to do my own independent project and worked full-time, researching the effects of pollen nutrition on honey bee health.
Q: Tell us about your future career plans after graduating.
A: In terms of future career plans, I want to become a high school biology teacher since I love biology, and I want to share my passion and make students more curious about the world!
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