Finding Purpose in the Classroom
From Columbia Engineering to a Presidential teaching honor, Sharon Collins MS’99 is shaping STEM education—and inspiring young women to lead.
by Kate Cammell
Sharon Collins, MS’99, isn’t afraid to be at the frontier of learning.
A first-generation college student, Collins came to Columbia Engineering as a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and was part of one of the first cohorts to earn a master’s degree from the Earth and Environmental Resources Program.
At Columbia, Collins discovered her own calling to become an educator. She attended a Teach for America (TFA) seminar and learned about the nationwide program that supports new graduates in becoming teachers. Afterward, she recalls telling her then-boyfriend, now-husband David, whom she met on the first day of classes at Columbia Engineering, “I found what I want to do for the rest of my life.”
Collins began her career in New York City’s public schools and has now worked for over a decade as a STEM teacher at New Heights Academy Charter School in Harlem. Drawing on her engineering background, she designs project-based curricula, from roller coasters to websites to an infamous Shark Tank-style competition, to bring learning to life. Her dedication was recognized last year with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST), one of the nation’s highest honors for K–12 STEM teachers.
Receiving the PAEMST honor was a pivotal moment, bolstering her resolve to lead. She now chairs TFA’s alumni association board and recently became her school’s first STEAM coordinator, helping launch an AP computer science class and a new arts curriculum.
Mentors played a key role in Collins’ own journey, and now she takes pride in supporting her students through similar transformative experiences, especially young women. She recalls being one of the only women in a college calculus course, where a professor instilled the confidence that she was capable of anything. It’s a lesson she now passes on.
“Teaching is about relationship building,” Collins said. “It’s important for students to feel seen and heard. When teachers are passionate, students get passionate too.”