Being nominated as a Presidential Awardee has been a journey of reflection, growth, and discovery. This award has grown my confidence as a professional and has encouraged me to never stop striving to improve as a teacher and individual. The Presidential Award is a recognition of the passion, emotion, and dedication that I put into my work with my students. This award demonstrates the importance our nation places on STEM education and the role that I get to play in my students' lives.

Emily Harris Stillwater, OK | 7-12, Science, 2021

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

Emily Harris has been in education for 11 years. She has spent the past year serving as Educational Technology Coordinator and District Testing Coordinator for Stillwater Public Schools. Previously, she taught sixth and seventh grade STEM at Stillwater Middle School for seven years after teaching science there for two years. Emily spent her first year of teaching as a science teacher at Agra Middle School. Emily strives to foster the love of STEM in her students through afterschool STEM programs. She coaches competitive robotics teams, sponsors a Girls in Engineering Club, and the Technology Student Association Club. Every year, Emily's robotics teams have won state and national titles, providing them the opportunity to compete at a worldwide robotics competition. Beyond teaching, Emily is also passionate about helping other teachers. Emily works as an instructional coach for her state, is a New Teacher Mentor within her school, team leader, and partners with her local Career Tech to support fellow teachers through professional development. Emily is dedicated to improving the education of students across Oklahoma through partnering with teachers to better their classrooms and STEM programs. When she was in the classroom, Emily believed that providing students with opportunities to learn through hands-on exploration and solving real-world problems is essential. Emily's goal in teaching has always been to inspire students to develop a love for STEM and ultimately pursue a STEM career. Emily has a B.A. in secondary science education from Oklahoma State University and an M.Ed. in educational leadership, with honors, from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. She is certified to teach biology and has five certifications from Project Lead The Way.

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