My name is Aaron Kaminsky, and I live in Vestal, New York, which is about fifty miles southeast of Ithaca. My wife and I have two boys that are two and seven years of age. My children take up a large part of my spare time, but I also enjoy golfing. My family offers a great deal of support to my career as an educator and the lifelong learning process that accompanies this field. Also, my preparation in science and education have been absolutely pivotal in balancing my professional and family life.
I attended SUNY Oneonta for my undergraduate studies and earned degrees in chemical engineering technology and a bachelors in science in secondary education. From there, I attended Binghamton University to earn a masters in secondary education. Finally, I pursued an advance certificate in school leadership at SUNY Cortland. My teaching career started fourteen years ago at Susquehanna Valley Central School District. Originally, the school hired me to teach four sections of Regents Chemistry. In my ninth year, I wanted to expand upon my experiences in education so I requested a transfer to teach middle school science. I have taught seventh grade science for the past four years.
Susquehanna Valley CSD offered a great deal of support during the application process to the GK-12 Grass Roots Program. The town was devastated by floods in 2006 and 2011 so they always appreciate opportunities to bring exciting programs to be used in our schools. Therefore, the school embraces opportunities like this during their rebuilding process. The Susquehanna Valley District is very fortunate to be working with Cornell University and the National Science Foundation.