We Miss You Already!!!

We recently had a celebration at the WOW to honor two of our most amazing scientists as they embark on new adventures. We bid a fond “see you soon” (because we refuse to say goodbye) to Beth and Luis. They have both brought so much to the museum during their time here and we wish them nothing but the best in their new endeavors. Beth will be taking on a science teacher role at a local elementary school and Luis will be heading off to college to study Chemistry. Their contributions to the WOW will forever be remembered.

Each of them shared a little bit about their experiences and their future and here is what they have to say.

Luis:

My name is Luis Anaya and I have been with the WOW for 6+ years. I started off visiting the museum when it opened in 2009. Captivated by the hands on science exhibits and the variety of interactive experiments I decided I wanted to be part of the place where the MAGIC, or should I say SCIENCE, happens. I started volunteering frequently from 2012 on and then got hired on as a museum assistant in 2015.

Now, as a museum assistant you could find me all over the museum from helping around the museum, to being your birthday scientist, to performing science demos in outreach events. My favorite part of the job is interacting and engaging with the kids and adults, explaining something new to them… while having fun at the same time!

Outside of the museum I am also a student athlete. I just recently graduated from high school at Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, where I also ran Cross Country, played Soccer, Baseball, and Volleyball and was in a variety of different clubs.

In August I will be leaving the WOW in order to attend the University of San Francisco to study and obtain a B.S. in Chemistry with a concentration in Biochemistry. With my experience in the field of chemistry, I plan to work in research for a few years after my professional degree, and eventually come back to teach. I would like to come back and teach either high school or university in order to inspire and excite others while teaching them all about the wonders of the subject known as science.

Beth:

It has been an incredible six years working at the WOW, so it is with mixed feelings that the next chapter of my career will begin with the start of the new school year. I have been given the opportunity to be the science teacher where my children attend school and will be leaving the museum. To my wonderful colleagues at the WOW, the amazing teachers and families I have gotten to know over the years and especially to Sally, whose vision enabled me to build the WOW on Wheels program, I thank you and am grateful for your friendships. While I am so excited for the new experiences and challenges ahead of me, leaving the WOW and the wonderful working relationships is definitely bittersweet.  I will miss you all.