Amidst a pod full of social studies classrooms lies Susanne Petri’s science class. Equipped with a biological safety cabinet and a backroom full of supplies, this classroom is a place for students to expand their scientific knowledge.

Petri has worked in education for nineteen years, 10 of which have been here at Rock Canyon. Petri got her bachelor’s in biological sciences at UC Davis. At her high school, Petri involved herself in athletics, and to this day is still in touch with some of her team members.  

“I knew I wanted to teach my senior year of college when I did an internship where I helped out at Davis High School in the classroom,” Petri said. 

Petri currently is the school’s one and only biotech instructor. 

She teaches Introduction to Biotech, Experimental Design & Biotechnology and the Capstone program. In the past, she has also taught Honors Biology. These classes are pathways for students to either pursue science in the future or help them to decide if they don’t like it. 

“I think my classes, even including Honors Bio, allow kids to determine if they’re interested in wanting to pursue science, and so there’s some kids in Honors Bio who maybe didn’t think they were science kids, and then they get excited about science,” Petri said. 

Petri’s classes are full of labs that allow students to challenge themselves while still having fun. They span from studying soil samples around the world to handling fruit flies. 

These labs are unlike any other that are conducted in the school, as they use more challenging equipment and handle more interesting supplies. Biotech kids have the opportunity to take the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE) to become lab-certified before they’ve even graduated high school. 

Students who take Experimental Design and Research work on projects throughout the year. 

For example, one group of kids performed a research project collaborating with researchers at Iolani School in Hawaii and National Jewish in Denver to identify bacteria linked with lung disease. They are currently being reviewed to be published in the science journal “Current Microbiology.”

“I’ve taught a very small handful of kids all four years of high school, and so it’s really neat to see them mature and see their confidence grow from freshman to senior year,” Petri said. “My favorite part of teaching is just getting kids excited about science.” 

While Petri’s students receive many opportunities to learn, earn certifications, get published in science journals and more in class, they also experience many new opportunities outside of school. For example, her students have presented at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference For Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS), and one group was awarded one of two top projects in microbiology. 

Petri herself has won multiple teacher appreciation and recognition awards, along with being picked as this month’s Teacher Rock Star. 

Jack Benson ‘24 is one of many students who have had Petri, being both in her Intro to Biotech and Seminar classes. 

“I’ve had Ms. Petri for all four years of high school and she has supported me and helped me to study and believe more in myself,” Benson said.