Students celebrate Women’s History Month with inspiring guest speakers

Teena Starchman’s class at Sierra Foothill Charter School marked Women’s History Month with a series of engaging visits from four local professionals, each offering students a unique look into their careers and the impact of women across diverse fields.

The series began with Yosemite park ranger Ninette Daniele, who introduced students to her work protecting wildlife, with a particular focus on reptiles such as turtles, snakes, and frogs.

Daniele shared her career journey and demonstrated how her specially trained dog assists in locating turtles in the wild for safe relocation, providing students with a memorable, hands-on learning experience.

Students also welcomed local nutritionist Rose Fluharty, who led discussions on the role of food in physical health, culture and community.

Her visit concluded with a hands-on activity in which students created fire cider, an herbal tonic that will be used in a future classroom cooking project featuring ingredients from the school garden.

Naturalist Joy Baccei further expanded students’ understanding of environmental careers by sharing her experiences working in Yosemite National Park and in grassland ecosystems near UC Merced. Baccei introduced students to nature journaling and provided each with tools to begin their own scientific observations, culminating in an outdoor exploration activity.

The series concluded with a visit from local dentist Dr. Karen Watanakeeree, who presented on dental health and the long-term impact of daily habits.

Students also learned about the history of women in dentistry and participated in hands-on experiments testing the acidity of common beverages and observing their effects on tooth enamel using egg models.

These visits not only celebrated the achievements of women across a variety of professions, but also reflected the charter school’s mission of engaging with the local community and connecting students with real-world learning experiences.

Starchman expressed her gratitude to all of the guest speakers for sharing their time, knowledge, and experiences with her students.