The following blog comes from one of our students and was originally published in an issue of Hilltopics.

As one walks into classroom 340, his attention is immediately enveloped to the decorations adoring the biology classroom. These simple, yet effective details demonstrate Ms. Peterson’s kind and funny personality. Her attention to detail is seen around the hard-work put in decorating the classroom and preparing daily lessons and assignments.

Her passion for biology started from a very young age. As she recounts, her father bought her a microscope kit, which evoked the curiosity for the science of life in her. That was when Ms. Peterson knew she wanted to pursue a science-related career. In order to bring this dream to reality, she enrolled into University of Wisconsin-Madison's undergraduate program in Biology. She later received her teaching license at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is now getting her masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

Alongside biology, she teaches Freshman Guidance, a class designed to prepare our newest students for life at SLS. It is a course that guides students through all four years on the Hill and the rest of their lives. Her enthusiasm and understanding has earned her a special place among the SLS staff. It cannot be summed up better than by her own students. Freshman Angel Hernandez stated, “Ms. Peterson shares the value of education and has the extraordinary ability to include everyone during class.” She has truly given the freshman a good start in their high school careers and in turn the students have high hopes for their new teacher. Ms. Peterson’s goal for her students is for them to “grow in appreciation for science; it doesn’t have to be their favorite, but to just learn to appreciate it.” Without any doubt in mind, one can truly believe that Ms. Peterson has not only met the expectations, but will continue to blow the students away.