PB welcomed quite a few new teachers this year, in a wide array of departments and subjects. The Math, Business, English, and Science Departments all got new teachers.
As always, some of those teachers have been teaching high school in other places for years, while others are new to teaching high school, and others are new to teaching in general. One of these new teachers is Mr. Bennett, a science teacher.
Mr. Bennett, who happily teaches chemistry and astronomy, did not set out originally to be a teacher. A native of Ohio, Mr. Bennett went to the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio, where he earned a degree in chemistry.
After finishing his undergraduate work, Mr. Bennett worked as an analytical chemist for three years and then joined the Peace Corps, where he got his first teaching experience as he worked for two years with high-school students in Gambia.
Mr. Bennett finished his work with the Peace Corps in July of 2008 and then moved to Washington, DC to study law at Georgetown University. After finishing his law degree in 2011, he “worked several law jobs.” He also finished his teaching degree and certification, which is how he ended up at PB.
Apart from his passion for astronomy, Mr. Bennett loves to run but admits that running comes second to taking care of and spending time with his 2-year-old son. As for his running interest, he does admit that even a good run can turn sour when snakes are involved. His biggest fear is encountering a snake when out on a run because he has had some frightening encounters with snakes. “I almost stepped on a spitting Cobra once,” he recalls. “I was running at dusk in Gambia and planted my foot down and the rocks near me moved. I took a few steps forward, and there was a spitting cobra rearing at me.”
His number-one role model is Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Mr. Bennett acquired his love of science, including chemistry and astronomy, from him. Of course, this role model and a passion for science make it no surprise that the number-one thing on Mr. Bennett’s bucket list is to go to space and float weightlessly while looking down on Earth below.