Amanda Wilson

What 3-5 adjectives best describe you?
Entitled – per my husband, Jeff
Humorous – per my Aunt
Compassionate – per Best friend
Amazing – per my 7 yo son Wade (named after Deadpool and Wade Watts: ready player one – first book my husband and I read together)
Perfectionist – per me
Geeky – per everyone

Briefly describe your job… what do you really do at EL?
I help teachers, help kiddos!

What do you like about working at EL?
I take pride in knowing that we provide students with additional learning resources.
The inspiration I glean from my colleagues.
Working in a team that nurtures professional and personal growth.

What's the most seriously fun thing you've ever done?
I love visiting the classroom for leadership events. Experiencing the enthusiasm of teachers and students is inspirational!

Why is STEM education important, in your personal opinion?
My parents! They cultivated a thirst for exploration and knowledge. They provided me with my first microscope when I was 6. They took me out of school to experience space shuttle launches, except for one, Challenger. We visited zoos and botanical gardens yearly. We watched Carl Sagan’s Cosmos together and discussed humanity’s place in the universe. We watched Star Trek daily, read Jurassic Park together, and tended to our vegetable garden in the summer. I was the only kid with an “ucky bucket” in the kitchen for composting. My parents did not have much, but they taught me to explore, question, and seek information to better our world and society. Oh and Live Long and Proper!

What big STEM accomplishment do you think we’ll see happen in the next 100 years, and why are you excited about it?
Augmented Reality. Students will be in an immersive environment. How transformative it would be for a student to witness the breaking of an atom, listen to Ada Lovelace as she discusses algorithms, or explore epigenetic changes on DNA.

Why is STEM education important, in your personal opinion?
For humanity to thrive, solutions to current problems and those yet to be realized will need to be implemented. Until warp speed is a reality, we only have one home, Earth. We must be good stewards of our Gaia for future generations to prosper.

Time travel… past or future?
Past, definitely. I don’t want to see a dystopian future that could have been averted. I want to learn from the people that were not acknowledged in the history books. Bring their stories back to inspire the quiet voices of the future, to be bold!

Artificial intelligence… friend or foe?
Let’s be honest, AI has fantastic potential to transform our future positively. But humans have historically misused knowledge and technology for their own self-interest. Those who will abuse AI's potential will not be those who designed it, only those who could afford to monopolize it. As I type, an AI plug-in is helping me write clearer. I do not want to see a world with Skynet at the helm.

How long would you survive a zombie apocalypse? Why?
Not long. The smell of rotting flesh is putrid. I do not wish that experience on anyone, you never forget it.

Chemistry or Biology?
Biology without a doubt, specifically, environmental sciences. Environmental science is the combination of all scientific disciplines. It is the junction between science and society.

Algebra or Geometry?
Ugh to both, but Algebra is one huge puzzle to be solved.

Learn a language or learn how to code?
Conflict will always exist until we learn to communicate with each other.

Deep space or deep sea?
Logistically not possible with our current understanding of space travel. But as we continue to erode our home, space is the final frontier.

Bill Nye or Neil DeGrasse Tyson?
Neil DeGrasse Tyson connects the universe to our humanity. I just finish reading Starry Messenger a few months ago. I encourage everyone to read or listen to it on Audible. What if an alien came to Earth, how would they perceive our culture?

Einstein or Newton?
Einstein persevered when the world was shattered. His ideas and thought experiments have paved a celestial trail to continued learning and exploring.

Star Wars or Star Trek?
My ethos is based on the teachings of Star Trek. Specifically: The Needs of the Many Outweigh the Needs of the Few and Never Stop Exploring. My baby moon was Star Trek themed, and I have a hallway dedicated to Star Trek. Our Christmas tree topper is the USS Enterprise 1701A. When TNG premiered, I cried when Picard said “Where no one has gone before”

Star Wars – I love the epic adventures of the Rebel Alliance and Republic. As a child, I wanted to be Princess Leia. She embodies a perfectly imperfect person, adventurous, rebellious, and has strong convictions. I have two pieces of artwork in my office to remind me of her tenacity. When the rolling credits for Rogue One paid homage to her legacy, I could not move as I cried and said Godspeed to my Princess. (yes I am crying right now thinking about my Princess’s death)

Keyboard or Paper + Pencil?
No one can read my penmanship!

Playlists or podcasts?
Playlist to center me, Podcast to enlighten me.

In the classroom… Front row or back row?
I prefer Center Middle.