Resume

KRISTEN SHARPLESS

EDUCATION
Swarthmore College	Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
	Pennsylvania Secondary Teacher Certification in Biology (pending), May 2002
	Bachelor of Arts, Biology. GPA 3.77. June 2001

	Awards and Honors
	Leo M. Leva Memorial Prize, Biology Department, Spring 2001 Awarded for showing unusual promise in and a strong commitment to the field of biology.
	Phi Beta Kappa, Spring 2001

	Activities
	Fall 1999-Spring 2001 African Dance Studied Ghanaian, Samba and Umfundalai techniques.

	Fall 2000 Animal Caretaker, Biology Department Managed the feeding, cage-cleaning and general care of 500 Siberian hamsters and 15 fence lizards.

	Fall 1997-Spring 1998 Eastern Forests and Mountains Conservation Project Initiated club and college-wide letter-writing campaigns advocating the conservation national forests.

	Fall 1997-Spring 1998 Eastern Forests and Mountains Conservation Project Initiated club and college-wide letter-writing campaigns advocating the conservation national forests.

	Fall 1997 – Fall 1998 Students Promoting Environmental Equality in Chester Designed and taught a Saturday afternoon program curriculum to a group of 10-15 urban children ages 3-15 focusing on increasing student environmental awareness and activism. Researched demographic census and health information for the City of Chester which was used in an environmental racism case against the State of Pennsylvania.

Binghamton High School	Binghamton, New York graduated June 1996

	*Awards and Honors*
	Valedictorian, Spring 1996
	National Honor Society, 1993-1996
	Bausch and Lomb Science Award, Fall 1995
	AGATE Student of the Year, Fall 1995

	*Activities*

	Flute (1986-1996) and Bassoon (1992-1996) Studied privately. Performed in school bands and woodwind and flute ensembles and in the Binghamton Youth Symphony. Competed at the state level and performed in All-County and All-State bands and orchestras.

	1994-1996 Youth Environmental Society Initiated lunchroom recycling efforts, elementary environmental education, Earth Fest activities and gardening on urban school grounds.

	1995-1996 Drama Performed in Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs, A Shakespeare compilation play and Shakespeare monologue contests.

	1995-1996 Sister Cities International Club Hosted an exchange student from Borovichi, Russia for two weeks and traveled to La Teste, France on an exchange for two weeks.

	1995 Varsity Volleyball

TEACHING EXPERIENCE	January - March 2002 Student Teacher, Friends Select Upper School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Taught 10th grade biology labs and 11th and 12th grade marine biology lessons and labs under the supervision of Swarthmore College. Created labs that required analytical thinking, synthesis of class content material and use of all stages of the scientific inquiry process. Designed lessons that combine lecture, student input, questioning, independent, student-directed research and presentations and interactive activities to clarify concepts.

	March – May 2002 Long-term Substitute Teacher, Friends Select Middle School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Taught 6th grade physical science and 7th grade life science for 6 weeks as a long-term substitute. Utilized learning centers, independent research projects and interdisciplinary approaches to encourage development of student interest, critical thinking skills and use of the scientific method.

	Fall 2001 - June 2002 Educator, Philadelphia City Sail After-school Program, Bridesburg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Assist in the design and implementation of experiential maritime-themed lessons for a group of 20 5th-8th graders. Focus on improving student success through team-building, model boat building, sail theory, water science and maritime history instruction.

	Fall 1998 – Spring 2001 Writing Tutor, Swarthmore College Tutored students in effective writing strategies for biology classes and in drop-in writing center.

	Spring 2001 Biology Study Guide and Tutor, Swarthmore College Led weekly study sessions for an introductory biology course and tutored individual students.

	Fall 2001 Tutor, Rose Valley Elementary School, Wallingford, Pennsylvania Designed and built creative, hands-on, woodworking project in weekly after-school sessions with a 10-year-old (for Educational Psychology course).

	Winter - Spring 2000 Residential Teaching Intern, Westtown School, Westtown, Pennsylvania Generated and taught experiential ecology and biology lessons and labs at the ninth, tenth and twelfth grade levels. Served as a full-time dorm parent, Girl’s Basketball assistant coach, Youth Environmental Organization advisor and assistant to school’s educational organic farming program.

	Fall 1998- Fall 1999 Student Coordinator, 4-H Gardening Program, Chester, Pennsylvania Initiated alliance with local, urban 4-H group and organized college students to create and teach lessons on gardening, science and environmental awareness to children ages 8 – 14 in a weekly after-school program.

	Fall 1997 Classroom Observer, Swarthmore Rutledge School, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Conducted weekly observations and reflections of teaching and learning strategies used in a 4th grade classroom (for Introduction to Education Course).

	Summer 1997 Day Camp Councelor, Summer Fun Program, City of Binghamton, New York Supervised a group of 20 5 and 6-year-olds at full-day camp. Designed and taught science, personal history, art and outdoor lessons.

	Fall 1996 High School Teacher, Global Routes Internship Program, Kakamega, Kenya Full-time teacher (biology, English, math) at a community secondary school in a rural village for three months. Initiated service work to improve the school by gaining funds from the United Nations 1% for Development Fund.

	1995-1996 First Day School Teacher, Binghamton Friends Meeting, Binghamton, New York Created and taught curricula on Quaker history and creationism stories to a small group of meeting children ages 6-9.

	1994-1996 Tutor, Binghamton High School, Binghamton, New York Tutored high school students in biology and French three times a week.

OTHER EXPERIENCES AND EMPLOYMENT	Fall 2001 Deckhand, Jolly Rover II, Philadelphia City Sail, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sailed 70-foot square topsail schooner on 10-day transit from Philadelphia to Daytona Beach, Florida

	Fall 2001 Administrative Assistant, Experience Corps Senior Tutoring Program, Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Managed paperwork for 150 senior literacy tutors volunteering in the Philadelphia public elementary schools. Performed reception, typing and database management duties. Assisted in the preparation of tutor training sessions and events.

	Summer 2001 Medical Administrative Assistant, Rehabilitation Associates, Binghamton, New York Created and updated patient files and assisted with patient billing and reception.

	Summer 2001 Plant Nursery Employee, Southern Tier Nurseries, Owego, New York Managed perennial inventory; worked in the retail of perennials, shrubs and trees; closed cash register.

	Summer 1999 Farm Volunteer, Finca la Bella Organic Coffee Farm Cooperative, San Luis, Costa Rica Learned cloud forest organic farming techniques from a local family while living and working on their farm.

	Summer 1998 Backcountry Campsite Caretaker, Appalachian Mountain Club, Gorham, New Hampshire Lived solo in the White Mountain National Forest backcountry while performing trail and campsite maintenance, including outhouse composting. Educated backpackers about backcountry conservation and leave-no-trace practices.

	Spring 1997 Wildlands Field Studies Program, San Francisco State University Studied wilderness land management practices in Montana while canoeing the Missouri River and backpacking in the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Wilderness areas.

	Spring 1997 Waitress, Narberth Café, Narberth, Pennsylvania

	Summer 1996 Research Assistant, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada Assisted evolutionary ecologists in lab and field research of the speciation of the freshwater three-spined-stickleback.

	Summer 1994-1995 Plant Nursery Worker, Bluemount Nurseries, Monkton, Maryland

INTERESTS AND SKILLS	Hiking and Backpacking: England, Ireland and Wales, 560-mile-long Finger Lakes Trail, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Montana.

	Travel: Florida Keys and Everglades, Britain and Ireland, Costa Rica, Kenya, Canada, Norway, France, Ecuador and Galapagos Islands, Montana.

	Computer: Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Access, Publisher, Statview, Kaleidagraph, Powerpoint.

	Language: some proficiency in Spanish

	Others: sailing, gardening and farming, ceramics, reading, running and fitness, creative writing and poetry, natural history.