After 43 years in education, Mount Dora High School teacher Vito Mazzini continues to find new ways to make science relevant for his students.

Vito teaches honors biology, AP environmental science and biology, working primarily with 10th through 12th grade students. His approach centers on connecting lessons to the real world, helping students understand how science impacts their everyday lives.

“I love science because it’s happening now, it’s just not words in a book,” Vito says.

In his AP environmental science classes, students explore topics like economics, environmental issues and how current events tie into what they are learning. In biology, lessons on ecology and environmental change are connected to real-world examples, including recent weather events and how they affect plants and animals.

Vito says one of his biggest goals is to make the classroom a place students enjoy.

“I want them to come to my class and enjoy,” he says.

That mindset has helped shape not only his students, but those around him as well. One colleague, who worked next door to Vito, credits him with helping guide his career.

“He took me under his wing and talked me off the ledge so many times,” Joe Rink says. “He coached me all the way through. I ended up having an extraordinarily successful career, totally due to Vito’s guidance. He saved my career.”

Inside the classroom, Vito emphasizes hands-on learning. Students conduct soil analysis, extract DNA using strawberries and work through environmental concepts in ways that go beyond traditional instruction.

One of the most unique aspects of his program is a partnership with William Davenhall,  a retired GIS specialist who visits his class regularly. William brings real-world data and mapping technology into the classroom, exposing students to applications and career paths not typically covered in textbooks.

“Vito’s been an agent in helping me do that,” William says. “What I present is material that’s not in their textbook, but is relevant to what they’re learning.”

The impact of those efforts is reflected in the growth of his program. When Vito first offered AP environmental science at Mount Dora High, the class started with 11 students. For the upcoming school year, more than 50 students have already signed up.

After more than four decades in education, Vito continues to focus on what matters most—helping students understand the world around them while creating an environment where they want to learn.