Staff Spotlight: Megan Thompson (Instructional Guide: Early Childhood)

I am originally from Youngstown, Ohio but I have called Michigan my home for almost 25 years. My husband Chris and I recently celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. We have a daughter, Emmy, who is 12 and just started 7th grade. We have 2 Basset Hounds, Max and Marty. Our daughter has 2 pet rats, Fred and Barney.  We love camping as a family and all of our pets join us in our travels whenever possible. I enjoy coaching my daughter's softball team, gardening, and I volunteer with the Ohio Basset Hound Rescue transport team.

I have a Bachelor of Science in Biology from SUNY College at Brockport (Brockport, NY) and a Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Education from Oakland University. For the last 13 years I have been in a virtual classroom teaching online high school Biology.  When I found myself looking for a new job, I thought I would find another online position until I saw the Nature Center posting and was reminded of what got me interested in teaching biology in the first place. While pursuing my biology degree I was a camp counselor where I led nature hikes and I interned with Campfire Boys and Girls of America where I created and provided environmentally focused presentations to day camps. My favorite part of teaching online was helping students make real world connections between biology and their lives, but it was virtual. I had a lot of great projects and simulations for my online students, but I am so excited to get out from behind the computer and back outside into nature for actual hands-on learning experiences.