Courtney Stokes, 38

Occupation: Science Teacher, Tavares

What I do: I teach Biology, AP Environmental Science, and Agriscience Technology; sponsor the National Honor Society chapter, environmental club and FFA. I also mentor our science fair participants, coach Envirothon teams and help with the band.

How I got here: My focus in grad school was originally research, but I realized that I enjoyed the teaching experience that I was getting even more than I did the research. I started as a teacher in 2016.

Why teaching is my passion: I really enjoy getting to talk about science every day, but I especially love when something clicks for a student, and they realize that they are so very capable of something they thought was hard!

Notable achievement: I was incredibly honored to be a 2022-2023 Finalist for Lake County Teacher of the Year. 

Words of wisdom: Make sure that you can take pride in your work. It doesn’t have to be glamorous, and you don’t have to be the best. You can be proud of the effort you put forth, or steps you take to improve.

Outside the classroom: My husband and I like to travel. I also love exploring various hobbies and learning new skills. I quilt and occasionally play on a cricket team.

Life after 40: I really enjoy what I do now, so I plan to keep it up.