Binghamton alumna shares love of learning (and science)

Even as a child, Nichole Hantsch ’05, MAT ’07, MS ’08, was sure she was destined for a career in medicine.

“I grew up knowing for a fact that I was going to be a doctor,” Hantsch says. “As early as elementary school, I had my heart set on a medical career. I even started at Binghamton as a premed student.”

However, a couple of years into her program, she felt something was missing. During her senior year, she began working in a biology lab and decided to pursue a master’s degree in biology. While she loved the fieldwork, she discovered a real passion for sharing her research and education with others. A friend suggested teaching, which got her thinking.

Binghamton’s School of Education— now CCPA’s Department of Teaching, Learning, and Educational Leadership (TLEL) — offered a graduate program in education, and Hantsch decided to try it.

“As soon as I was in the program, I instantly fell in love with the idea of sharing my education and my experiences with younger people interested in similar things,” she says.

Teaching allows Hantsch to share her love of science and learning, and she integrates what she teaches in the classroom with her students’ daily lives.

“One of the things I love to tell my students is that I can relate anything to science,” she says. “There’s nothing they could throw out there that can’t be related to science, and they love that challenge.”

“People say only the craziest teachers work in middle school,” she laughs. “Even though that might have a little truth to it, I have so much fun working with that age group, it really fits with my personality. Most of my students are still excited to learn new things, even if they don’t show it every day.”

Her dedication to teaching did not go unnoticed, and Hantsch was recently named a finalist for the 2024 New York State Teacher of the Year Award — the country’s oldest and most prestigious teacher award. Administered by the Department of Education, it recognizes the excellence, dedication and exceptional skills of the state’s teachers.

“This award recognizes Nichole’s hard work, expertise and creativity as an excellent teacher, and TLEL is proud to call her an alum,” says Matthew McConn, associate professor and TLEL’s department chair.

“As a teacher, you’re always trying to do the best thing, the most important thing, for your kids,” Hantsch says. “Sometimes you wonder whether you’re making a big enough difference in their lives. To hear that my students are still feeling the impact of my teaching, some of them even after graduating, makes me feel so honored to have spent time with these students and these families.”