Tara a Christian teacher in training

Science matters to this student

Abuse, homelessness, poverty. The world can be a cruel place, “but that’s where God reached me,” says Tara McDermott.

A series of providential experiences brought the science graduate from a life and potential career that lacked meaning to studying teaching at Avondale. She received a pocket Bible. When her car broke down, she met a mechanic who shared his faith. Then she purchased land next to a welcoming church. Along the way she met people who helped her understand the Bible in an intellectual way.

“I understood God wanted me here, and I knew enough about God to know He wants the best for your life, but I didn’t want to be a teacher.” Tara now recognises how her life circumstances have prepared her for the classroom. Travelling the world, working diverse jobs, mixing with the rich and poor. “What’s the point of this knowledge and understanding if you can’t pass it on?”

The way she sees it, science is one of the foundation stones for learning. “I love science. I love God. But I especially love how God reveals Himself through science, through the wonders of the world. He puts natural laws in place for a reason: so you can see the affect of the supernatural.” Science and faith work together. Tara puts it this way: if we take the ability to think critically and ask for wisdom on top, “we’ll begin to understand the world in new ways.”

Tara is clear about her role as a Christian science teacher: she seeks not only to improve outcomes and increase access but also to develop character. “I need to help students look at the evidence and follow a logical progression but also to understand where the answers end and faith begins.”

This influence begins with an investment in education: quality teachers produce quality students. Avondale offers pre-service science teachers like Tara some of the best mentoring, modelling and training in the country, but it lacks some of the necessary equipment. “Science is difficult enough without having to worry about whether the problem is with your equipment,” says Tara. New equipment works and reflects the changing face of science. “You’ve got to trust your equipment so you can test the theory.”

Your help this end of financial year will enable us to continue offering students like Tara a quality Christian education in science. “I came to Avondale to be a teacher of excellence, to understand the way the world works and the way God works in the world.”