Welcome to Academy Jade Mclaughlin!
Welcome to Academy, Ms. McLaughlin!
It is the pleasure of the Advocate to introduce and welcome one of newest members of our community—Jade McLaughlin! McLaughlin is a 9th-grade biology teacher. She enjoys teaching because she “really loves communicating the science and exploring different ways to do that.” This is her first year as a teacher outside of mentoring undergraduate students at the National Science Foundation, and she is excited to be teaching at our school.
McLaughlin is an Albuquerque native who graduated from Eldorado High School in 2008. As a student, she was always passionate about science saying, “In middle school, I had this teacher who was always so enthusiastic and excited about science, and it inspired me. Plus, I was always outdoors a lot.” Through her diligence and ambition as a student, McLaughlin earned herself a spot on Eldorado’s honor roll. Outside of academics, McLaughlin was an athlete, lettering in basketball and track, placing 5th in the state championship 300m race. When asked about what she was like in high school, she said, “I was very active. I played a lot of different sports and did clubs and summer camps…I was just very adventurous and spontaneous…and really outdoorsy.”
I really love communicating the science and exploring different ways to do that. — Jade Mclaughlin
McLaughlin went to college at the University of New Mexico where she received her Bachelor of Science in Earth and Planetary Science. After she graduated from UNM in 2013, she worked in field biology, studying the behaviors of living organisms in their environments. She was a wilderness ranger for Cibola National Forest and a field technologist for Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research, an ecology and environmental program based in New Mexico that tries to better understand the biology of the desert. As a field biologist, McLaughlin did a lot of community outreach and public speaking. In fact, she credits her decision to teach to these public speaking experiences, saying that “more of my experience was in talking to the general public about science, doing some guest lecturing, and doing ‘Skype a Scientist’ events for the University, and I really enjoyed talking to people about science…[it] made me want to explore teaching as a career.” When asked if she liked her experience at the Academy so far, she replied, “Yeah. I mean, this is probably the most supportive work environment I’ve ever been in in my life. Everybody’s so willing to help all the time.”
Outside of teaching at the Academy, McLaughlin plays professional ultimate frisbee for the Arizona Sidewinders. In college, she played professional rugby, winning nationals in the U20 Championships. She is also very active and adventurous in the outdoors. She loves rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and camping, stating “If you can do it outside, I probably do it.” Her love for the state of New Mexico and nature has even fueled her passion to work towards a master’s degree in native bees in the state, specifically Diadasia or “teddy bear” bees because “they’re so fluffy and cute.” McLaughlin is also intrigued by the “special relationship” that these bees have with cacti. When not outdoors, McLaughlin likes spending time with her two dogs, Tiberius and Macho, and taking care of her pet tarantula, her rainbow boa, her pet geckos, and her large collection of plants. She also enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons and Magic The Gathering and hopes that she can join The Magic Club this year.
If you ever want to drop by her office and say “hello” or if you just want to play with some of her LEGO sets or puzzles, her office is S170 in the science building, and you can reach her at [email protected]. Once again, welcome to Albuquerque Academy, Ms. McLaughlin. We wish you luck on your teaching and educational journey!