Emma’s Story
Emma Vierheller considers herself fortunate to have had excellent teachers throughout her K-12 education. In particular, she was profoundly influenced by her mathematics teachers. “I was able to watch them make connections with students who otherwise would have been forgotten and disregarded.” In college, Emma explored political science with the idea of focusing on education policy but felt dissatisfied with the pace of progress nationally. A track and field athlete in high school and college, she had begun to coach the sport. “As a coach, I began to internalize that the impact on a student is immediate, but can last years.” She was drawn to mathematics because of “my own love for the subject and the clear frustration my peers had towards math.”
Emma graduated with a BS in mathematics and a BA in political science from Marietta College. Active as a student leader, she coordinated campus drives for a local women’s shelter and raised money for food insecurity. Emma interned at the Campus Martius and Ohio River Museums in Marietta, Ohio, where she matched exhibits and activities to the Ohio Social Studies Content Standards. She also volunteered with Bridges to Community in Nicaragua, an organization that assists with sustainable development projects in that country. She later earned an M.Ed. in educational leadership from Marquette University and a master’s certificate in mathematics from Bowling Green State University.
Emma has been teaching since 2012, spending time in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Colorado. Emma brought AP Statistics to her first school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and earned National Board Certification in 2021. In her teaching career, she has developed mathematics courses for career technical education, taught dual credit manufacturing mathematics and statistics courses, and served as a Knowles Inquiry Coach.
Emma currently resides in Fort Collins, Colorado with her partner and daughter. She teaches 8th grade math in Poudre School District.