By MADISON GRADY
Ms. Sforza is a new Jericho High School living environment and science research teacher who always advises her students to find their passion in life. She had taken on a few career paths before deciding that teaching was what she wanted to pursue.
Ms. Sforza attended St. John’s University where she earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Toxicology. She said, “I have always been interested in science, which is the reason I decided to study toxicology.” Her plan was to work in the field of scientific research, but she soon realized while in graduate school that research was not an exciting career choice for her.
After graduating, Ms. Sforza became a paramedic. She said, “When I was doing my bachelor’s, master’s, and medic, I realized that my favorite aspects of those three had to do with teaching and working with other people.” After discovering her enthusiasm for teaching, Ms. Sforza decided to work towards obtaining a second master’s degree in Education.
Before coming to Jericho, Ms. Sforza worked at both Great Neck North High School and West Islip High School. A familiar face to some students, Ms. Sforza worked part-time at Jericho High School last year, teaching one living environment class. This year, she is a full-time Jericho High School teacher, with 2 living environment classes and 2 science research classes.
The Jericho community has been very welcoming towards Ms. Sforza. She said, “Everyone from students to teachers has been so nice and inviting, and that’s something I never really got at any other school.”
Ms. Sforza has received a very positive response from her students this year so far. Science research student and sophomore Ruby S. said, “Ms. Sforza is a great teacher. She is very organized with specific sets of notes and folders on her Canvas homepage for every lesson. Ms. Sforza makes us feel comfortable in an environment that we are afraid to mess up in.”
Ms. Sforza shows her students how to discover new scientific material through hands-on labs and activities for her science classes.
When Ms. Sforza attended high school, it was common for students to take notes and perform very basic labs in science class. Now, however, Ms. Sforza tries to incorporate “new inquiry” into her classes. She said, “Instead of being lectured by a teacher, students are learning science by doing science.”
In her free time, Ms. Sforza loves to spend time outdoors. This past summer, she was able to go camping, hiking, and swimming. She also loves to go scuba diving when traveling and hanging out with her dog.
When Ms. Sforza is teaching, she does not really feel like she is at her job. She said, “If you are doing what you love, you are never really working.” She is so enthusiastic about her future at Jericho High School and is excited to see where this year takes her.