Byron MacKenzie

1) When you were younger what did you want to be?

From the time that I was nine, I wanted to be a scientist. The specific science that interested me changed one year to the next until my freshman year in high school when I decided that I would choose between some area of engineering or physics. As it turned out, I have been able to do both. I worked as a nuclear engineer when I was in my twenties and came back to college to study physics in my thirties.

2) When you were younger what superhero did you pretend/want to be and why?

That’s easy; it’s got to be Superman because nothing (except kryptonite) could hurt him. In some ways I’m still a fan; that is I still like the movies even though I don’t read the comics anymore.

3) Who do you think is the most memorable student in Upward Bound and why?

This is my sixteenth summer with Upward Bound so I have known several students that I would categorize as outstanding. So many that I have come to believe that the Upward Bound students represent the best that your generation has to offer. Yours is a bright future so take advantage of the opportunity while.

4) How was your first year in Upward Bound? Did you have a hard time working with the students?

My first year in Upward Bound, I taught physics with less than perfect success. I was used to working with the university students so I geared the class too high. These days I view that first year as a learning experience.

5) When you were little, who was the best teacher you ever had?

In many ways I had a tougher time then some of the other kids because I was good at all of the stuff that I was supposed to be bad at and bad at all of the stuff that I was supposed to be good at (i.e. first picked for knowledge bowl and last picked for softball games). My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Potter, was the teacher who helped me come to terms with the awkwardness that came with being a bit different. I’d liked to say that it was completely resolved that year but that wouldn’t be true. However, I gained some confidence in myself that year which has continued to grow since then.

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