Science teacher Bebi Davis helps her students build bridges, literally and figuratively. For three consecutive years, her students have represented Hawaii in a national bridge-building competition. More importantly, she helps them connect what they learn in class with the real world and apply old knowledge to new situations. A native of Guyana, South America, she began teaching in the United States when she came to Farrington High School four years ago. With the excitement she generated for learning, students who previously had no prior interest in science began spending hours after school participating in her hands-on enrichment activities. Some even began for the first time to prepare for statewide competitions. Enrollment in her physics classes has increased by over 50 percent. She inspires both students and colleagues to become lifelong learners by her own personal example: in addition to pursuing a doctorate degree, she spends her summers teaching chemistry at the community college so that she can achieve a better understanding of what students will need to be successful when they enter college. Perhaps the most important bridge she helps build is the one to a brighter future for her students.
Ed.D. & Ph.D.
