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Posted
May 09, 2019
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May 09, 2019
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, Applied Materials applauds all teachers and administrators for your leadership, persistence and the impact you have on all of us. We thank you for providing the resources needed to succeed in school and life, and for continuing to motivate the next generation of great thinkers and innovators.
In talking with my colleagues across the company, I realize each of us have lasting memories of how a certain teacher helped shape our future and made us who we are today. Here are a few stories from our employees reflecting on educators whose inspiration and advice helped define their lives and careers.
Pam Sherman | Senior Director, Culture of Inclusion | Texas
“The best piece of advice I received in school was to stay focused, and remember that I have the ability to do anything I want to do. My favorite teacher was my piano teacher. She helped me to gain confidence in my ability to try something different. Through Mrs. Robertson, I was introduced to classical music and developed a love for it. She helped to instill in me the importance of discipline and the realization that hard work truly does pay off.”
Anivesh Baratam | Software Engineer | California
“My physics teachers in high school had really effective teaching methods and were instrumental in helping me decide to pursue engineering as a major in college. When I was younger, I wanted to be an astrophysicist, but then I discovered that I liked applied sciences more and now here I am!”
Zach Teplitzki | Safety Engineer | Israel
“The best piece of advice I received in school is mistakes are part of the path to learning, and you have to keep trying to learn how to be better.”
Gaby Alva | Process Engineer | California
“One of my most memorable teachers in high school was my chemistry teacher. I was never particularly interested in any science subject because my experience in other science classes wasn’t great and the curriculum was taught like a chore. But my chemistry teacher taught the class with so much enthusiasm and in a way that was easy to follow, which helped me understand what he was trying to say. I really enjoyed his class and thought of it as fun. I credit his help for starting me on the path of becoming an engineer.”
Christi Marrufo | Managing Director | Texas
“The teacher I remember the most is one of my first teachers, Mrs. Jones. She taught me to love reading and encouraged me to go to the school and city libraries and choose books that interested me, even if they were not typically what a child my age would select. When I started reading children’s fiction series like Nancy Drew exclusively, she encouraged me to check out non-fiction books or books from other genres. I remember her telling me that the most important thing a person can do throughout their life to be a good citizen and be successful is to read both non-fiction and fiction constantly, and to be curious about what I was reading and not accept everything I read at face value. To this day, I am a voracious reader and I credit Mrs. Jones for teaching me the importance of continuous learning through reading.”
Kaylee Kim | HR Staffing | Korea
“My favorite teacher in school was Mrs. Molisani, my third-grade teacher. She taught me that sincerity from the heart and honesty will lead to strong relationships with friends. She said this is especially important living in an international world with diverse cultures. When I was growing up I wanted to be a scientist because I liked math and science. Today I am working to recruit scientists and engineers to innovate and lead the world in materials engineering solutions.”
Alex Rosselet | HR Benefits | California
“When I was growing up I wanted to be a psychologist because I wanted to help people. Now working in corporate wellness allows me to help people on a larger scale, influencing peoples’ lifestyle and mindset rather than simply one-on-one individuals.”
I encourage you to join us and #ThankATeacher on Twitter this week, follow us at @Applied4Good and read our recent blog posts to see how Applied is engaging in education efforts year-round. To learn more about other areas we’re passionate about, check out our Community page.
Tags: teacher appreciation week, Thank A Teacher, education, community, student development, careers
Heather LeCon
Corporate Communications Specialist
Heather LeCon is a Corporate Communications Specialist who supports strategic internal communications and drives social media at Applied Materials. She contributes to our employee communications app, Applied4You, by driving creative content and providing global program manager training. Heather also manages content creation and publishing for all Applied's corporate social media channels. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Relations from San Jose State University and started at Applied as a New College Graduate.
Fun fact: She's a world traveler who has visited 10 countries and 13 states. In her free time, Heather loves attending live music concerts, producing and acting in short films and taking weekend trips to Disneyland!
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