BY KATIE SURBER, Sophomore
BLYTHEWOOD- Every morning Rebecca Westbrooks drives about an hour to Blythewood High School so she can teach her students. Even though there is heavy traffic, she is always determined to get here . She has always been devoted to her job, no matter what it was.
Westbrooks has been teaching for 41 years now and has not regretted one day of it. She teaches science, specifically biology and chemistry.
She always connects with the students. She stays in touch and makes sure everyone is on tract but also makes class fun at the same time.
If anyone is lucky enough to get Westbrooks as a teacher be thankful. Listening to her talk and lecture about the wonders of science and actions she has done in the science world is a blessing.
Westbrooks explains what has surprised her in her 41 years.
“I think there are dedicated people in teaching; I’m talking about in science, in some areas just the lack of having good labs. In other words not having the appropriate equipment,” she said.
Westbrooks has always loved nature, as a child / teenager she grew up on a farm with her family. Even if she wasn’t a science teacher, she would still be in nature as a park ranger or maybe even an artist, she said.
Westbrook’s Green Thumb
Westbrooks biggest and greatest accomplishments is when she built a 3 million lab at Southeastern College. She also built two greenhouses.
It was all from nothing and she created a masterpiece.
It is amazing how she could built such an amazing lab and then leave the school to come teach at Blythewood High School. That is like a once in a lifetime opportunity and she left all that so she could come teach high school students.
At least they named the lab after Westbrooks.
Westbrooks did some fantastic work at Southeastern College, she did huge amounts of research on venus fly traps. Most of her work at Southeastern College was on venus fly traps and cloning plants.
She was chair of Southeastern College’s Natural and Social Science Department. Westbrooks loves carnivorous plants such as the flytraps.
She ran an amazing Venus flytrap micropropagation lab at the college. Instead of using seeds, micropropagation uses cells from one plant to create thousands of Venus flytraps.
The idea of making many plants other than just one was great, she had cloned and sold about one million since 2006 before she moved here to Blythewood.
Westbrooks has done wonders for South Eastern College, but she doesn’t stop there.
Trips to Wondrous Places
Westbrooks and her husband went to Australia to study invasive species. She explain it was caused by people kept bringing tons of bunnies over to Australia so now there is hurds of bunnies.
While they were there other scientist let them stay in their homes with them.
Westbrooks and her husband got the chance to study fairy penguins on Phillips Island off the coast of Australia. They got to learn their ways and how they act.
The penguins would get up at sunrise stay in the ocean all day then come back at nightfall to get in their nest in the side of a cliff on Phillips Island, Westbrooks said.
It was an amazing chance to do two things at once for them. Westbrooks has studied invasive species in many places. The venus flytraps are her most focused work though.
All the information they got on the trip was written down in her husband's journals and turned into his boss. He worked for the government as a scientist.
Things Outside of work
Westbrooks does many things outside of school and of course they have to do with nature or science.
On the weekends, when she's not grading papers Westbrooks helps save sea turtles. She doesn’t just care about plants, she loves animals too.
Westbrooks always go kayaking on the weekends, even after school some days. She lives near a lake so it is pretty easy to do.
She also likes hiking and other things that have to do with nature. No surprise, right?
How she’s seen around the community
If there was more people like Westbrooks then children would love school. She makes them want to learn and thrive in science.
She is a great influence on young scientist not only at Blythewood High, but also at the other schools she taught at. Many students have said how they love being in her class and love the way she teaches.
Not only do the students love her, the teachers do too. Westbrooks is one of the brightest spirits anyone could ever meet.
Students come back even after their class with her is over just to talk to her, even the ones who misbehave. They come back and tell her they should’ve listened to her.
Westbrooks has done more than anyone could think of. She is the only person who could build a $3 million lab and leave to come to a high school.
This new part of her life is a change and the drive she makes everyday for this change is worth it.
