Shelley Tracy is an 8th Grade science teacher at Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School. In addition, she teaches Kinard C.A.R.E.S. and which is an 8th grade classes leadership class. She has been a Mustang for 15 years but has been an educator for 30 years. Before coming to Kinard, Shelley’s professional experience started right here in Fort Collins at Poudre High School. She then taught in Germantown, Maryland for five years, Boulder, Colorado for six years and then found herself back in Fort Collins. Shelley received her bachelor’s degree in Animal Science/Biology from Colorado State University. She also earned a post bachelor certification in Education from Colorado State. Outside of school, Shelley enjoys spending time with her family. Her husband, Brian, is a professor at CSU where he teaches and does research involving the neuromuscular system. Hannah, 27, works for Odell Brewing in Denver and Sam, 23, is a United States Marine who is now home and starting at CSU this fall. When Shelley is not teaching, she enjoys spending time working in her garden and cooking. She also loves to fly fish and to spend time outdoors with her family and friends. Shelley went into education due to her own personal love of learning and her passion to work with kids. She loves the challenge of engaging her students and fostering in them a love for science and learning. She has taught science to kindergartners through seniors but finds middle schoolers to be her favorite age group. She is drawn to their eagerness to discover new things with reckless abandon. This inspires Shelley to encourage kids to learn at the highest level possible and to love it along the way.