To me, the Presidential Award is the pinnacle of science teaching excellence. My role models and mentors have been Presidential Award winners and I cannot tell you how honored I am to be in their company. I strive for excellence for my students, but being acknowledged myself is truly humbling. I am fortunate to have had a career I love, to be continually challenged, fulfilled and to have made a difference. I have been able to travel the world with students and instill a love of nature!

Tamara Pennington Windsor, CO | 7-12, Science, 2017

The official biography below was current at the time of the award.

Tamara Pennington has been a science educator for 26 years and, for the past 14 years, has taught 10th-12th-grade Biology, Advanced Placement Biology, and Biotechnology at Windsor High School. Previously, she taught Physical and Life Science at Carmody Middle School. Tamara began the AP Biology program at Windsor and recently created the new Biotechnology course. Tamara's desire to instill a love of nature and biology has led her to travel the world with hundreds of students. Most recently, she and 22 students and parents went on a safari to learn about the apartheid years in South Africa. Students have also worked with indigenous tribes along the Amazon in Peru and Costa Rica. Tamara is a proud member of the National Biology Teachers Association and the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study Leadership Academy where she has co-led five-day summer workshops for biology teachers. She has also been president of the Colorado Biology Teachers’ Association for the past four years. Tamara sponsors the Bio-Club at Windsor High School where students choose to pursue further biological topics such as visiting cadaver labs and building bird houses for staff members in the building. Tamara earned a B.A. in biology from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters degree in biology from the University of Colorado. She is certified in secondary science education.

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