Graduate Spotlight
Congratulations to Kathryn DeStantis, M.S. in Natural Health,
Winner of a 2004 Princeton Teaching Award
Sometimes crime does pay.
This biology and genetics teacher creates crime scenes in the classroom, and engages dozens of teenage detectives year after year. And, once her habitual crime stats became known, a selection committee from New Jersey’s prestigious Princeton University was hot on her trail.
As one of four honorees, Kathryn DeSantis received $5,000 and a secondary award of $2,500 for her high school library. From a field of more than 80 nominees, she became one of 11 finalists whose premeditated crime plan resulted in an air-tight conviction.
Her M.O. is to expose young people to the thrill of scientific discovery by staging a murder mystery in her lab. In this experiential learning adventure, her first-year biology honors students begin with a one-week CSI/crime scene introduction to microscopic blood-typing and chemical tests on unknown substances. These “ah-ha” self-discoveries, so early in the school year, teach students how to be intrinsically motivated to learn.
Her genetics class involves trans-species gene transfer labs, plant cloning and GMO testing. This group also reads Genome by Matt Ridley as part of its ethical discussions within a weekly Socratic-style seminar.
These off-the-chart classroom innovations demonstrate Kate’s passion for teaching science, which she discovered after a previous career in the banking and computer industries.
During this time, she also discovered that her own biology was not being well served by the world of conventional medicine. Right of the heels of perimenopause came the structural challenges of arthritis and when a doctor recommended hip replacement, the young woman ran as fast as her 30-something year-old legs would take her! She has never looked back, learning instead to improve both conditions with whole foods and nutritional supplements.
This perpetual learner is happy that an in-depth investigation led her to Clayton College, adding that our curricula compare favorably with her undergraduate studies in a traditional college setting, at Rutgers University. Clayton’s virtual learning environment enabled Kate to learn a Masters of Science in Natural Health, and to proceed with doctoral studies online.
Somehow she even finds time to teach other teachers, conducting hands-on workshops in molecular biology, via Princeton’s Central Satellite Learning Center.
Successfully co-mingling her high-tech and holistic health teachings over the years, Kate has touched the lives of more than 700 students: “I recently heard from a 24-year-old former student who had had uterine cancer. Remembering my teachings about natural supplements, she says that vitamin therapy has helped her to achieve remission.”
Kate DeSantis is one of those people who changes the world by engaging young minds in the joy of discovery. By literally bringing learning to life, she also experiences the joy of helping young people learn healthy habits that can help save their lives.
“CCNH teachings are user-friendly and instantly applicable,” she concludes. “Without having to wade through lots of esoteric, I can take this information right into my own classroom.”
 |
|
 |
|
|
|