Rachel Lawrence: Influencing Students Through Math

Rachel Lawrence has been influencing students through math for 25 years. Lawrence went to Antilles High School in San Juan, Puerto Rico for her freshman year. She then attended Hartford High School in White River Junction, Vermont. After graduating, Lawrence attended the University of Maine in Orono where she studied mechanical engineering. She then attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned her master’s of teaching.

  “One of my most recent [favorite memories] was when a former student contacted me. He was not a stellar student in high school.  He barely graduated high school and was a source of constant frustration for all his teachers here at DRHS. He messaged me to say he had turned things around and was studying math at Radford. He came back to DRHS and spoke to my classes about his experiences. It was wonderful to see how he had matured into a successful young man, and inspirational for my students,” Lawrence said.

  “ [I wanted to be a teacher because of] Mr. B, my high school Chemistry teacher.  He was a retired Chemical Engineer who became a teacher.  He always did fun demonstrations and explained how what we learned applied to real life,” Lawrence said.

  In her free time, Lawrence enjoys traveling, volunteering, and reading. Her hobbies include hiking, working in her garden, and knitting and sewing.