Jessica Cimini-Samuels is a New York native that has been transplanted to Central New Jersey. She is a science educator through and through. After getting a double bachelors from Binghamton University in Ecology and Environmental Science, she worked at the Bronx Zoo and Nature’s Classroom as an educator. This was followed by a Master’s degree in Environmental Conservation Education at New York University. During this time she began a 14-year employment at an environmental center in Douglaston, Queens as a full and part-time educator. A few years after starting that job, she became a middle school science teacher and this is where she has stayed. Teaching kids (including her own) about science is her passion and calling. She strives to make science accessible to all and to help them find their love for science. As a self-described space nerd she long cultivated her love for space science and exploration. As an adult she took herself to space camp and had the time of her life. She began to insert space science into her classroom at every opportunity….even where it was a bit of a stretch! From attending talks at the American Museum of Natural History to stargazing with her students to traveling to space educator conferences in Florida and Texas, she seeks out like minded communities of dedicated space educators, explorers and scientists wherever she can.