Jillian Worssam grew up in suburban Connecticut but considers herself a child of America. Ms. Worssam has traveled to every state, and it was through this exploration that she fell in love with nature and became fascinated with the diversity of all living systems. After attending an alternative outdoor educational school in Vermont, she moved to Montana where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Forestry. This newfound knowledge prompted her to become a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, which in turn showed her the power of education. Upon returning to the United States, Ms. Worssam became a professional educator and earned her Master’s Degree in Bilingual/Multicultural Education. Ms. Worssam has now taught in Arizona and internationally for over 14 years, and today teaches all curricular subjects to at-risk middle school students for the Flagstaff Unified School District. Thanks to support from NOAA, Ms. Worssam is participating both as a PolarTREC teacher and as a NOAA Teacher at Sea in this expedition.