With less than four years of teaching under her belt, one local high school science teacher is already making a name for herself.

Laura Rogers, a biology and environmental science teacher at Fayette County High School, has been named the 2021 Teacher of Promise by the Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) at the high school level.

The Teacher of Promise (TOP) award recognizes science teachers with one, two, or three years of teaching experience that show exceptional promise. Sponsored by GSTA, Teachers of Promise are recognized at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. Each TOP award includes a check for $750.00.

Nominees had to complete an application process which included essay-style responses to a series of questions describing how they would improve science education in their schools and school system, details about recent science lessons, and description of unique or creative lessons they have developed based on Georgia’s science standards. Nominees also had to submit three letters of recommendation. Applications were evaluated by a panel of judges using a rubric.

Rogers was honored by GSTA at a virtual awards banquet on Friday, February 5.

The Georgia Science Teachers Association is a professional organization dedicated to improving science teaching at all levels, pre-school through university. The mission of GSTA is to provide leadership and service for science education. The current membership of over 2,000 includes science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, and representatives of business and industry.