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Jessica Lee Cornwell
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Biography I was born and raised in a small town in Connecticut in 1987. I attended public school through the end of eighth grade, and then transferred to a private school in ninth grade. I graduated as one of the top students in my class. During high school, I developed an interest in Japan and Japanese culture that has persisted to this day (I have even been fortunate enough to travel to Japan on multiple occasions). Although I was expected by friends and family to pursue a career as an artist, I felt apprehensive at the prospect of turning a hobby into a livelihood. I chose instead to focus on science. College credits from high school AP courses enabled me to earn two Bachelor of Science degrees—Animal Science and Wildlife Conservation—from the University of Delaware in just four years. I also earned a minor in Landscape Horticulture and was an active member of the College of Agriculture’s Horticulture Club. I graduated in 2009. I met and began dating my future husband in high school. We attended different colleges and maintained a long-distance relationship for the better part of six years. We moved to Rochester together in 2010 and married in 2011. We purchased our first home in 2015, where we still reside. Although I had long dreamed of working as a zoo keeper, the employment opportunities available at the Seneca Park Zoo were not favorable at the time that we moved to Rochester, and so I took a job at Lollypop Farm (the Humane Society of Greater Rochester) as a kennel attendant instead. Although I found great personal satisfaction in helping the homeless animals of Rochester, the physical strain of the job took its toll on me after many years and decided I needed to find a new career. I have always enjoyed sharing my love of science, especially biology, with others. Plus, I also already had experience working with children as a babysitter, camp counselor and as a professional educator at a zoo and aquarium. I believe that being a teacher is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. In 2016, I enrolled in a Masters of Education program at Roberts Wesleyan College. I continued to work full-time at the animal shelter while taking courses at night as a full-time student, until I needed to complete the student teaching portion of the degree. My Master’s Thesis consisted of a case study that explored the difference between transgender students’ perception of acceptance and support in high school settings, compared to college settings. I graduated in 2018. Since graduating, I have completed all other requirements for an initial teaching certification in New York State aside from completing the EdTPA. I have returned to working at the animal shelter part-time, while also substitute teaching part-time. I am currently seeking employment at a school where I can complete the EdTPA and join the ranks of New York’s certified teachers. |