Robyn Yewell

Tucson, AZ | K-6, Science, 2020

What motivates you to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching?

What motivates me most to contribute to excellence in STEM teaching is knowing the powerful impact it can have on students’ lives, both inside and far beyond the classroom. I love watching students make connections, ask questions that show genuine curiosity, and start to see themselves as capable thinkers and problem solvers.

What has been the most transformative moment that affirmed your impact on STEM education?

The most transformative moment that affirmed my impact on STEM education happened when a former student reached out years after leaving my classroom. She told me that what stayed with her wasn’t just the science content we covered, but the way she learned to think through problems, ask deeper questions, and trust her own reasoning. She shared that those experiences completely changed how she approached her college studies and even shaped how she tackles challenges in her life today. Hearing that was incredibly powerful.

Using your platform as a Presidential Awardee, how do you hope to advance our nation in STEM?

Through my platform as a Presidential Awardee, I hope to help build classrooms where curiosity and critical thinking thrive, support teachers in taking bold steps to engage all learners, and open doors so every student can see themselves as capable, creative problem solvers who will shape the future of our world.

Biography

Robyn Yewell has been an educator for more than 14 years, spending five years teaching at Winifred Harelson Elementary School, teaching all fifth-grade subjects. She also taught for six years at Marion Donaldson Elementary School, and is currently teaching chemistry at Marana High School in Tucson, AZ. Robyn was the treasurer of the Arizona Science Teachers Association (ASTA) and served as Ambassador for the University of Arizona's Office of Economic Education. In 2017, she was awarded the Arizona Elementary Science Teacher of the Year. She was inducted into the Northern Arizona University (NAU) College of Education Hall of Fame in 2022 and was a semifinalist for the AZ Teacher of the Year in 2023. In 2024, she was earned the President's Alumni Award from NAU. Robyn loves to share her passion for science with others and strives to create opportunities for students that foster their natural sense of curiosity and wonder. She encourages her students to see their own world by carefully choosing phenomena that will drive student inquiry. Robyn is an Odyssey of the Mind coach and also helps to facilitate STEM Nights in Southern Arizona. She has also presented sessions on a variety of topics statewide on STEM education, including economics. Robyn earned a B.S. in business administration from the University of Phoenix; an M.Ed. in elementary education from NAU; and an M.Ed. in Bilingual Ed. and a M.A. in science teaching from NAU. She is certified in elementary education with endorsements in structured English immersion, gifted, mathematics specialist, and middle fifth through ninth grades with general science and English as approved areas. Robyn is also certified in secondary education with the approved area of middle grades/early secondary mathematics.

High-resolution version of the official portrait photograph
Awardee with Dr. Quincy Brown, Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Dr. Sylvia Butterfield, Acting Assistant Director at the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) within the National Science Foundation (NSF)
High-resolution version of the teacher profile photograph

The views expressed in awardee profiles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSF or the PAEMST program.