Maggie Gonzalez Sheeran is currently a science teacher at Novi Middle School and is the school Science Fair Coordinator. She enjoys bringing extracurricular events to the science classroom. In addition to being a long time supporter of the Science Fair, Mrs. Sheeran has sponsored the Future City Competition for Novi students for many years and is currently teaching a Lego Mindstormers Unit for her enrichment classes at Novi Middle School.

With a Bachelors Degree from the University of Michigan and a Masters Degree from Wayne State University, Mrs. Sheeran states that her best learning experience comes from her students. “The children are my gauge to know if a lesson has accomplished the goal intended. Bringing in the every day world and real life experiences are the keys to making science a valuable tool for our students. The thinking process and problem solving required in a science class will carry over into many future decision making situations for our children.” Mrs. Sheeran was recently awarded a Field Trip Grant from Target in the amount of $800. The grant will be used for a class trip to the refurbished School of Natural Resources at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This building is a real life example of how technology can help the world become a more ecologically friendly place.

Mrs. Sheeran entered her first Metropolitan Detroit Science Fair in 1990 with 6 students. Twenty years later she has sponsored over 507 students; winning 3 Grand Awards, 11 First Place Awards, 17 Second Place Awards and 31 Third Place Awards.

In an article written by Mrs. Sheeran for the Detroit Science Fair several years ago, she states “Only the student that is truly invested will do the best job and learn the most while completing their project”. In her opinion a science fair project is more than just a fun experiment or a cool looking display board. It is an invaluable experience for the student to know that they have accomplished something above and beyond the normal expectations.