Jenny Bello

Starting our RET Teacher of the Week is Jenny Bello from West Roxbury High School! Bello teaches biology to 10^th graders and is very excited to apply what she learns in the RET program to her own curriculum. She also wants to increase public awareness about STEM education in the community.

Bello originally went to school with different aspirations, but she ended up teaching right after graduating and never looked back.

“I always liked science since I was a child. My mother signed me up for Girl Scouts and they instilled in me a deep appreciation and dedication for science,” she said. “Initially I wanted to go to medical school, but right after college I needed to have a job. I started teaching right away, and while teaching I changed my purpose in life.”

Bello continues to discover her love of biology and its versatility while teaching the subject. She realized that biology is applicable to many different aspects of life, not just in the medical field. For instance, ecology and animal preservation are two of her favorite topics.

She was contacted by Professor Helen Fawcett earlier this year regarding the RET program, and decided to participate in hopes of a new learning experience. Bello has previous experience working in a lab with graduate students at Harvard Medical School, but has enjoyed working with Professor Helen Fawcett, REU Ramon Sanchez, nanoView Diagnostics CEO David Freeman and graduate students Steven Scherr and Jacob Trueb in the Photonics Center this summer.

“I wanted to improve my lab skills, and do scientific research…and I wanted to network with other science teachers as well,” she said. However, Bello said her priorities changed as she entered the program, and now she also wants to “provide a better opportunity to [her] students” by bringing back her updated knowledge of current science.

She said, “One of my main goals is to use the resources that have been given to me and implement them into the classroom.”

Bello wants to use the stipend from the RET program to buy new supplies for her students. “I’m going to use the money to buy materials to set up labs for different lessons,” she said. For example, she wants to buy biological kits and digital cameras to be used alongside microscopes during her cell biology unit. They will be able to analyze different slides and apply concepts from a hands-on experience.

Even though it’s the summer, Bello is balancing a lot of things on her plate besides being an RET. She currently has a three-year-old daughter, Juliet. Besides spending time with her daughter, she also likes to play tennis, keep up with politics, garden and spend time with friends and family.

Hopefully Bello continues to enjoy the RET program and take away more information as the summer progresses!