I believe that teachers should be held in higher esteem as they are responsible for shaping the minds of the next generation.”

Sean’s Story

Sean Haggerty began thinking about teaching chemistry while still in high school:  he enjoyed tutoring fellow students, and chemistry was the subject that interested him the most.   As an undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University, Sean worked as a research mentor for high school students and loved every minute of it.  “I cannot recall a moment in my life when I was happier or more proud than when the students presented their research at the end of the program.”  The experience confirmed in him, his choice of a career as a high school chemistry teacher.

A graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes High School in LaGrangeville, N.Y., Sean has long been involved in various forms of community service including organizing a soccer tournament to raise money for Autism Speaks.  He is the recipient of several academic excellence awards and scholarships and is an avid sportsman who enjoys racquetball, volleyball, football and golf.

Sean believes that today’s science teachers are often faced with and need to overcome negative attitudes towards science.  “Students come into the classroom mimicking their parents’ dislike of the sciences.”