Many students at Jesuit would agree that junior year is the hardest year of high school. Students take on much more academic load through higher level classes, and, being an upperclassman, their responsibilities increase. Throw in some extracurriculars and students have a very taxing year.
A big part of this academic load is Chemistry, which is commonly known as one of the hardest required courses at Jesuit. Chemistry is a class that students typically dread taking going into their junior year.
But Mrs. Gorham, Jesuit’s newest Chemistry teacher, is taking it upon herself to change this stigma.
“I do hear that chemistry is stressful, so I want to help support students and make them feel less scared of it,” she said. “Because it’s actually super cool, we do lots of fun stuff. I want to try to help redefine the vibe with all the juniors.”
Mrs. Gorham teaches chemistry and environmental sciences at Jesuit. She most recently taught at Central Catholic High School, and before that taught in Hillsboro and in California.
Growing up on the East coast, she saw firsthand what being a teacher meant.
“My mom was a teacher and she loved it,” she said. “So that was definitely a source of inspiration for me.”
As she passed through grade school this inspiration turned into a passion for the subject.
“I was a chemistry major, and really enjoyed it,” she said. “I like doing the labs. I like how hands-on the curriculum is, you just kind of get called to it…really what made me go into teaching was I love chemistry.”
Overall, the best part of teaching for her are the students themselves.
“What I love most about being in school is the kids, the teenagers, [they] are hilarious,” she said. “There’s the teaching.”
Moreover, the excitement of new students and experiences are what makes the year memorable.
“We tend to teach the same thing every year, but it’s totally different every period because of the dynamic of the students and how [they] interact with us,” she said. “I like how the students keep it interesting.”
In her first year, Mrs. Gorham is excited to get to know the community and become a part of it. She has loved the students so far, and saw first hand what being at Jesuit meant.
“Going to the first assembly was super cool, because [I’m] at a school where people have a lot of spirit. And y’all like being here. You like expressing how you like to be here. It was a really energetic and vibrant assembly, so that was fun, I like the community.”
