A 2011 graduate of Grace Brethren High School, Simi Valley, Calif., a ministry of Grace Brethren Church in Simi Valley (Jordan Bakker, pastor), is featured in the Moorpark, Calif., Acorn. A portion of the story appears below. Click here to read the complete article.

Dedication to math education

Simi Valley’s Grace Brethren High School graduate Amanda Bierhorst, 23, also a 2015 UCLA graduate, begins student teaching in Indiana next month as part of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program.

Amanda Bierhorst wants to inspire her future students with a passion for math and a love for learning.

The 2015 UCLA graduate with a degree in math and applied science said she wasn’t naturally gifted in math but dedicated herself to succeeding in the subject.

“I worked extremely hard to understand (it),” the 23-year-old said. “I think that’s what’s going to make me a good teacher.”

The former Moorpark resident also hopes to use her experiences as one of the few women in her science and math classes to motivate her students.

“I think education is important for empowering, especially young women,” Bierhorst said. “Walking into a place where, traditionally, (women) aren’t very common, I think it sends a strong message.”

It’s a message she will have the opportunity to share with her students when she begins teaching in Indianapolis as part of the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program. …

After graduating from Grace Brethren High School in 2011, Bierhorst said, she intended to major in political science at UCLA and then attend law school.

But she soon decided to take a different path.

“I think I had just gotten my AP calculus scores and was feeling chummy about it,” she recalled. “I don’t think I put too much thought into it.” …

Click here to read the complete article.