Greetings, esteemed portfolio readership!
My name is Ashley Holmes and I grew up in a very small hole-in-the-wall town in the South Carolina Upstate region, making plans for how to get out of South Carolina and see the world. I completed my undergrad at Clemson University (Go Tigers!), where I received a B.S. in microbiology. I went on to join a Ph.D. program at Penn State University (Go Lions!) in the Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology department, where I studied the biochemical mechanism (and associated proteins) involved in cellulose and lignocellulose biosynthesis. During this time, I developed a passion for teaching and mentoring early career scientists. It was during these years that I gave birth to my two children and shifted my thoughts about science and science learning to a much younger age spectrum. I pulled the plug on my Ph.D. and ran away with the M.S. in Biochemistry to central Michigan, where I spent a year substitute teaching in the Lansing School District to find out if the passion remained after classroom experience with this new age group. I found that I woke up happy to go to work in the classroom every day and finalized my decision to pursue a professional career in teaching. I explored a post-bachelor's teaching certification and MATC program at Michigan State University (Go Spartans!), and became a SETS-UP (SUPPORTING EARLY-CAREER TEACHERS OF SCIENCE THROUGH URBAN PARTNERSHIPS) Fellow. My teaching internship was at Eastern High School in Lansing, MI, where I worked with two wonderful mentors who also took alternate career paths to teaching and spent a year co-teaching chemistry and seventh grade science. In August of 2019, I obtained a job at the same school, teaching chemistry, physics, and forensic science. Eastern High School is a high-needs, public, urban school in Lansing, Michigan that serves grades 7-12. There are about 1500 students attending EHS and 75% of the student body qualify for free or reduced lunch. My teaching philosophy is this: All humans are born learners as long as we are willing to meet them where they are. My philosophy is elaborated here: |
Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. - Hans Christian Andersen