This year, Nancy Sackett, the new chemistry teacher at the Upper Campus, joined the group of well-traveled faculty and students. A woman of many hobbies, such as sewing and reading, and a passionate teacher of all things science, Mrs. Sackett has quickly become an essential unit to life here on the hill.
Born and raised in a small town in Iowa, Mrs. Sackett has always had a passion for science and learning new things about the world around her. Her fascination has been apparent from a young age – when she was little, she would play with a hand-me-down chemistry set for hours on end. Ultimately, this passion is what led Mrs. Sackett to teach science down the line.
“Chemistry is particularly interesting because the world is made of chemicals, and it’s amazing the outcomes you can get when you mix things together,” Mrs. Sackett said. “I love to learn and I really enjoy working with teenagers.”
Chemistry is all about learning about the world and how things react to each other. In the spirit of chemistry, Mrs. Sackett took it upon herself to learn about the entire world. She has lived in over five different countries with her husband, who she met in Venezuela. These countries include Egypt, where her son was born, Thailand, Taiwan, Switzerland, and England. She did many different things in these countries, like learning how to scuba dive in Venezuela, and training for a marathon in Taiwan.
However, living in these foreign countries taught Mrs. Sackett more than just the ability to scuba dive. While teaching at various international schools with her husband, she gained knowledge about being in a completely new culture. Her previous experiences are now applicable at OVS, as they help her to understand what it’s like to be in a culture different from her own.
While working in places all around the world, Mrs. Sackett always taught chemistry.
“It isn’t much different teaching chemistry in Egypt, Bangkok, and Taipei because it is universal,” said Mrs. Sackett. “It’s cool to take something that I love doing and teach it all over the world.”
Alongside her passion for chemistry, Mrs. Sackett has a love of outdoor activities, which is a large aspect of life at OVS. Luckily, this has contributed to her experience at the school.
“I really like it here,” Mrs. Sackett said. “Teachers and students are friendly and helpful. Students seem interested in learning, which is nice.”
Her statement is true. Many of the students she teaches have responded very well to her teaching. In class, Mrs. Sackett mixes fun with learning and holds many labs and group discussions. Within the first week, students were on their feet in a lab making “gak,” also known as slime.
“She’s presenting the material in really interesting, creative ways,” said sophomore Jaclyn Sersland. “I’m looking forward to seeing what else she has in store for the rest of the year.”
And to answer that question, Mrs. Sackett plans to focus on more than just her chemistry class. Her intent is to pioneer an elective later in the year, though the focus is still undecided.
“I think once I settle in, I would like to make a new elective,” Mrs. Sackett said. “I could do something totally unrelated to science, like sewing, or I could do an experimental science elective if there is enough interest.”