Mrs. Penn is a Marine Biology and Honors Biology teacher at Quartz Hill. She has worked at Quartz Hill High School for many years and enjoys teaching students. She is always trying to switch things up to make learning relevant and fun.

   Mrs. Penn attended Stony Brook University in New York. She studied both biology and marine biology. Mrs. Penn noted, “At the beginning of college, I wanted to be an ER Doctor.” However, she was not interested in being a doctor by the end of her time in college and did not like the idea of being a nurse either. She had many science credits, enjoyed teenagers, and liked to travel, which made being a teacher a perfect fit.

   She started her career at Great Neck High School in New York. She taught AP Biology, Honors Biology, and Earth Science. Mrs. Penn also ran the student government program. One of her most memorable experiences was flying a group of students in the student government class to meet George H. W. Bush. Later on, she transferred to Quartz Hill High School. Mrs. Penn has taught for a total of 37 years.

   Considering her interests, Mrs. Penn stated, “I am an avid scuba diver, so I enjoy teaching about marine mammals.” Although she loves teaching about marine animals, she also enjoys many other science concepts from genetics to microscopy.

   Mrs. Penn believes teaching has many benefits. She enjoys the relationship that she builds with students throughout the year. Also, she likes that education always changes, so she can experiment with varying teaching styles. She explained, “I remember using ditto machines when I first started teaching, and now I am working with laptops.” The change in technology has caused education to change as well.

   Her least favorite part of her job is the discipline aspect. Just like any other teacher, she does not enjoy working with students who just do not care about their education.

   Mrs. Penn’s role model is her father who was an engineer. She mentioned, “He had the perfect balance of work, play, and family.” She always tries to be like him and admires him.

   Mrs. Penn has worked hard to be where she is today. She has experienced a wide range of changes in her years of teaching. She enjoys teaching students and changing up her teaching style. Mrs. Penn is a valuable teacher to have on our campus.