From the Amazon to Antarctica: A Lancer’s Journey to Transform Education Through Science

What happens when a teacher follows her curiosity far beyond the classroom? In this episode of Longwood GradCast: Beyond the Degree, host Dr. Sarah Tanner Anderson talks with Dr. Becky Schnesker (B.S.’05, M.S.’06), a double Longwood alumna whose career has taken her from the classroom to the Amazon Rainforest, Antarctica and beyond. Becky is an educator, National Geographic educator and explorer, author, school founder and assistant professor of education. But at the heart of her story is something much simpler: curiosity, and the people who encouraged her to follow it. Becky reflects on how her Longwood experience shaped her as both an educator and a lifelong learner, including the professors and mentors who saw possibilities in her before she could see them herself. One handwritten note from a professor describing one of her assignments as "PhD caliber material" stayed with her for years. She also shares how a desire to rethink education led her to help open a tuition-free school, write Expedition Science, and take elementary students beyond traditional classroom walls. A chance conference conversation, a Twitter message and a grant application eventually opened the door to an expedition to the Amazon, followed by experiences in the Galapagos, Iceland and Antarctica. Now preparing the next generation of teachers, Becky continues to challenge conventional ideas about what education can be and what students are capable of. In this episode, Becky talks about: The Longwood professors and mentors who changed the direction of her life Why curiosity can be a powerful foundation for learning How she took elementary students' learning beyond the classroom The unexpected path from a conference conversation to the Amazon Rainforest What exploring the world has taught her about teaching Why she believes ideas should never be "too weird or too big" Bringing her Longwood experience full circle by mentoring future educators