Holly Makowsky
Lowell, MA
To pursue my own path, to live life on my own terms and to bring happiness to others is what I have chosen for myself. I love to dance in the kitchen, get silly in the classroom, show my students things they have never seen or known of before and help them feel success. A life of inquiry, passion and positivity is what I want to help my students work towards and achieve. Kids are not only our future and our Earth's hope, but they are also a source of joy in our today.
Outside of the classroom I am passionate about my constantly growing relationship with Christ, my love of yoga and my need for learning and travel. The flexibility I have afforded life and my willingness to open unexpected doors has made amazing things happen, but now I am also focused on planting roots within a community so I will always have a place to come back to.
My undergraduate degree, Hospitality and Tourism Management, is from San Diego State University, SDSU. While at SDSU I studied abroad at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Prior to starting my management position with Hyatt Hotels, I spent a month exploring all that Peru has to offer, including hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. After some time managing with Hyatt Hotels I went into client service management with Integrity Interactive, a now sold off ethics and compliance company.
When I chose to change my career to teaching I knew it was the perfect choice for me. My Masters in Elementary Education, licence for all subjects, grades 1-6, and Specialist Teacher of Reading license are from Lesley University, in Cambridge, MA. I then went on to continue my education with Lesley, taking courses in Science Education, as well as a STEM Certificate and Creo course with PTC and an Educator Academy science education experience in the Amazon Rainforest.
My current professional focus and research focus is in STEM education and content area literacy, with a special focus on inquiry, STEM and industry connections, the content area of science and the particular needs of ELL learners.