The Presidential Award is the greatest honor I can achieve in my career. Being recognized by the President of the United States for teaching science, particularly at this moment in history, is beyond what I thought possible in my lifetime. President Biden knows the importance of accurate scientific information in our changing world and is an advocate for the teaching profession. This award will provide opportunities for me to develop professionally and to bring knowledge back to my community.

Lesha Rupert Albuquerque, NM | 7-12, Science, 2021

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

Lesha Dawn Rupert has taught at Eldorado High School since 1998 and has been an online teacher at eCADEMY High School since 2018. She teaches 9th-12th graders in Advanced Placement Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Biology. Lesha was part of the Public Education Department’s Science Standards Secondary Course Mapping Workgroup and the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) NGSS Steering Committee. She was trained on the “Five Tools and Processes for Translating the NGSS Into Instruction and Classroom Assessment” from the American Museum of Natural History, then facilitated training for district teachers. Lesha developed training on Google Voice so teachers at Eldorado have more options for parent communication. Lesha wants students to experience science in unique ways. She has students act out protein folding and muscle contraction. Students make artwork when learning tissues and model them in three dimensions. They research how cellular communication changes affect the health of organisms; learn about organ transplants and determine which fictitious patient should be the recipient; and solve crimes with simulated blood and DNA. Lesha was named a Golden Apple Fellow in 2020 and received the Siemens Advanced Placement Teacher Award representing New Mexico in 2000. She was named the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) New Mexico Outstanding Biology Teacher of the Year in 2006, won New Mexico Academy of Science Outstanding Science Teacher in 2006, and was awarded Sandia National Laboratories/Lockheed Martin Science Teacher of the Year in 2002. Lesha has a B.S. in biology from the University of New Mexico. She holds a license in secondary science and is National Board Certified in adolescent and young adult life science.

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