STAFF SPOTLIGHT ON JESSICA ATKINS

Jessica Atkins, Teacher Assistant
January 2020:  Welcome our newest staff member, Jessica Atkins!

Mrs. Atkins joins our staff as a teaching assistant, which is a vital job supporting staff and students at STrEaM. During the first semester, Jessica volunteered at STrEaM, running a botany booth for Girls in Science night, and as an assistant coach with Mr. Mokelke in the after school boxing club. We are fortunate to have her on our team.

Raised in a military family, Jessica has lived all over the world. After living in Anchorage from age 9 to 14, her family moved and she graduated from high school in Arizona. Next, Jessica enlisted in the United States Navy.  While in the Navy, she earned an Associate of Arts in Chinese Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute and worked as a Chinese language translator stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

After her service, Mrs. Atkins attended the University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Plant Sciences. Following college, she worked as a botanist in Alaska focused on protecting natural environments from invasive species. Her dream is to apply her plant science knowledge to develop urban rooftop farms, addressing food inequalities and building sustainable self-sufficiency.

Jessica loves to travel and study world languages, and she is fluent in both Spanish and Mandarin. She enjoys working out, including her favorite sport, boxing. Jessica considers herself a foodie, and loves exploring restaurants and food scenes with her husband Quin.

After getting to know the program through volunteer work, Mrs. Atkins chose to work at STrEaM because she likes the focus on ecological stewardship, which aligns with her education and core values. Her favorite thing about STrEaM is the diversity of students and educational methods.

Welcome to the STrEaM Dream Team Jessica Atkins!