Katie Perry has been teaching at Ensign Peak Academy for 5 years. Her course is Earth Science and she has previously taught Human Geography in High School. She is also the registrar for Ensign Peak Academy.
The following is my mentor interview with Katie Perry.
How did you first hear about Ensign Peak?
I did a Google search looking for an online school option for my daughter. After I registered her for Ensign Peak Academy, I also saw there was an open teaching position.
What do you love about your subject? Tell us about how you became interested in that subject.
I love studying the Earth. There are so many chances to bring in the gospel when teaching Earth Science. I love teaching about the Creation and God’s hand in our world. There are just so many ways it relates to the world.
I have a bachelor’s degree from BYU in geographic information systems, and that has a lot to do with mapping and satellites. I have also done contract work with FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency).
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I hadn’t thought about becoming a teacher. The thought of standing in front of a classroom didn’t cross my mind. I began to love teaching when I was homeschooling my children for several years. And then it just kind of took off from there. Since then, I’ve also become a seminary teacher.
How did you become a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? What does that mean to you?
I was born in the church, but both of my parents are converts. I do have ancestors who were members of the Church – Joseph Smith is my third great-grandfather.
It means everything to me. It is why I get up every morning to teach the gospel to the youth in my ward for early morning seminary.
Tell us about yourself and your family.
I grew up in Georgia and have also lived in Provo, Boston, and Washington DC. My husband grew up in Missouri. We have 6 kids. Our oldest just graduated from Ensign Peak Academy last year and is going to BYU-Idaho.
I went to BYU for my undergraduate degree, after which I moved to Washington DC where I met my husband who was doing an internship. My husband went to BYU too, and then to Harvard Law School. He currently works as a Federal Prosecutor.
We don’t have any pets. We like to play board games as a family (some of our favorites are Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, and Scythe). We also enjoy long road trips as a family and plan to drive to Yellowstone next summer.
Where do you live?
We currently live in Syracuse, New York. We have been here for 10 years. Previous to Syracuse, we lived in Boston for 7 years.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Our family likes to camp and kayak. I love to be outside in the woods or the garden. I also like to do family history, read books, and knit.
What is something unique about you?
I have maple trees on my property, so every March I harvest maple sap and boil it down into maple syrup that I can use all year. I get about 20-30 pints of syrup every season. I like to do this because it gets me outside every day in March and because I feel connected to my ancestors who also made maple syrup in Upstate New York many years ago.
What hopes do you have for your students?
I hope that they will gain a deeper appreciation for the world we live in and seek to make the world a better place by setting a good example of the gospel. I also hope that they learn to take care of the resources we are given and gain a greater understanding of how amazing the Earth is.
Katie’s Earth Science class is part of the High School curriculum at Ensign Peak Academy. To learn more about Ensign Peak Academy’s High School program, visit the following link: High School Program