The Presidential Award is the high point of my educational career. I am grateful to my students and thankful for colleagues and mentors supporting me throughout my professional journey. This award reaffirms the importance of building relationships with youth and celebrates what’s possible through impactful learning experiences. I am humbled to receive this award alongside exceptional educators who insist on the best educational opportunities for young scientists and changemakers of tomorrow.

Alicia Pressel Saint Johns, FL | 7-12, Science, 2023

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

Alicia “Ali” Pressel is in her 19th year of science education. She has taught 9th-12th grade environmental sciences and Advanced Placement Environmental Science at Creekside High School for the past 15 years. She spent the previous year teaching at Fruit Cove Middle School. Prior to teaching in Florida, she taught at Westminster High School and North Hampstead High School in Maryland. Ali passionately engages youth in scientific discoveries as they explore natural ecosystems in their local community. She has extensive experience in place-based education through community citizen science initiatives and actively incorporates geospatial mapping technologies into learning experiences. Students map changes to the Greenland ice sheet as they explore global climate change and coastal resiliency in Florida. They experience real-world scientific connections from guest speakers and field studies throughout the school year and learn directly from scientists and community partners as they build career connections. Ali is a National Geographic Explorer focused on broadening community citizen science opportunities for all youth in local communities around Florida and beyond. As the 2021 Saint Johns County Teacher of the Year, she actively participates in the Florida TeachersLEAD Network. Ali is a Grosvenor Teacher Fellow and a Global Learning Fellow. She facilitates workshops on place-based STEM education with the National Science Teaching Association and through Esri K12 Education. Ali earned a B.S. in environmental sciences and human ecology from Rutgers University and an M.S. in chemical and life sciences from the University of Maryland. She is certified in secondary sciences education, including biological sciences and agriculture.

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