By Micah Abad Staff Writer
From snorkeling to writing research papers, biology and AP environmental science teacher, Mr. Vestergaard, who is currently filling in for Ms. Kwan, spent 10 weeks researching the diverse wildlife in Costa Rica as part of his undergraduate program for college. .
Mr. Vestergaard graduated from Dartmouth college and majored in biology. He’s always had an interest in science as a child, but did not pursue it right away. For a while he did pre-med because of his family’s desire of him wanting to be a doctor, which he thought he wanted as well. He didn’t enjoy it too much, so he transitioned to ecology.
Dartmouth has connections to research labs all over Costa Rica, so every year the ecology professors would take students to travel and research species. That year, Mr. Vestergaard and his class were assigned to Costa Rica. Every week he was assigned to a different location to spend a week on researching the diverse wildlife.
Mr. Vestergaard would switch off locations every week, researching many different species, from Dung beetles to trouts. He did many things to get as close as he could. “For one study, I had to spray scented oils to attract the millipede. I went snorkeling to get a better look at the trout species. Once I finished, I’d go to the research station and write an essay on what I researched that week,” Mr Vestergaard explained.
After graduating Dartmouth, Mr. Vestergaard went to the University of San Francisco for his teaching credentials, where Mr. Vestergaard became a student teacher for biology teacher Mr. Biorn. Mr Vestergard spent last spring semester and this fall semester student teaching for Mr. Biron, teaching biology classes,
When Mr. Biorn found out that Ms. Kwan was going on maternity leave, he believed that Mr. Vestergaard would be a perfect fit as the long term substitute. Mr. Birone knew this was a chance for Ms. Kwan to have a good substitute and for Mr. Vestergaard to jump right into a teaching position.
After two semesters of student teaching for Mr. Biorn feels that Mr. Vestergaard is really good at building relationships with students and trying new things while having deep knowledge of biology.
However, Mr. Vestergaard does not plan to stay at Galileo after this semester. He has found an opening to be a science teacher in a middle school here in San Francisco. As memorable as it is to be here at Galileo, he wishes to take a different direction in his teaching career.
Mr. Vestergaard feels that he is more connected to younger kids which is why he is taking the job. He says, “There is this saying that I believe in. In a teacher’s career, there are different directions they follow. If you like kids, you pursue elementary/ middle school, if you have more passion for the subject, you teach high school/ college.”
