It is an honor to be nominated for the Presidential Award as I know there are many amazing educators out there. To be selected for the Presidential award is amazing. I am truly excited to be listed among many other outstanding educators. I look forward to working with other PAEMST alumni to advocate for the increased support of science education.

Autumn Rivera Glenwood Springs, CO | K-6, Science, 2022

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

Autumn Rivera is currently a sixth grade science teacher at Glenwood Springs Middle School, where she has been teaching since 2012. In addition, she has served as an adjunct professor at Colorado Mountain College in the Education Department since 2018. During her more than 19 years as an educator, she has worked with students from elementary to postgraduate levels. Previously, she taught seventh and eighth grade science at Janitell Jr. High School for seven years. In her classroom, Autumn focuses on bridging the gap between classroom and community. She empowers students to make change in their communities now and not wait until they are adults. With her help, her students were able to raise money to save a local lake that was for sale. It is now Colorado's newest state park. Autumn is a member of the Colorado Science Conference Planning Committee and Steering Committee with the Colorado Science Education Network. She is the President-Elect of the Colorado Association of Science Teachers and also works with the American Association of Chemistry Teachers and the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Central Governing Board. She has presented at multiple conferences including the Colorado Science Conference and the National Academies Science Standards Implementation Conference. Autumn is the middle school science lead for her school district and was named the 2022 Colorado Teacher of the year and a Finalist for National Teacher of the Year. Autumn holds a B.S. in biology, an M.A.T. in teaching secondary science from Colorado College, and an M.Ed. in educational leadership from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Know a great teacher like Autumn Rivera? Nominate them for PAEMST!