Chelle Gillan and Judy Williams “are like two peas in a pod,” according to Williams. 
 
当然，这两位生物学爱好者会把他们的友谊形容为一株植物。  
 
除了他们亲密的友谊和对科学的热情之外，两人就读于同一所大学，在同一所学校任教，并且都被提名为同样享有盛誉的STEM教学奖。 
 
“The legacy continues, right,” said Gillan. “I mean, she graduated from Kearney State, became this awesome teacher, then mentored me, and now I'm trying to do the same. For years it was my goal, I was like, ‘I just want to be like Judy. 我想和朱迪一样优秀。’” 
 
Williams graduated from Kearney State in 1971, and nearly 40 years later Gillan completed her teaching certificate and her 在线生物学硕士 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.  
 
1967年至2000年，威廉姆斯在中城公立学校担任科学教师。 During this time, she founded the school’s first ever science research courses.  
 
“The research at Central City stopped after she left. And that was pretty hard for her,” Gillan said. 
 
直到吉兰开始在中心城市公立高中教授生物和健康科学。 
 
“When Chelle came on board, then the program came back and really started growing,” Williams said. “It's so much fun to watch Chelle and what she's done with it, because she's really taken it to the next level.” 

自从吉兰重新启动这个项目以来，她的许多学生参加了州和国家的研究竞赛和科学博览会，她的一些高中生的研究成果已经在国家科学期刊上发表。 
 
“The collaborations that have come as a result of my time at 太阳城娱乐官网 are very rewarding,” Gillan said. “I am so thankful for how helpful the 太阳城娱乐官网生物系 have been with my own research students. I could probably count at least ten that have worked closely with my students.” 
 
Collaborating with 太阳城娱乐官网’s faculty proved to be even more important than helping students win science fairs. 
 
“A lot of these students have never set foot on a college campus, and they don't necessarily have the resources to go visit,” said Gillan. “To get this experience in high school communicating with those college professors it makes college seem attainable to them that, ‘Hey, I could fit in this world.’ And that’s big. That’s life changing.” 
 
Another life changing opportunity for Gillan and her students is Gillan’s recent nomination for the 杰出数学和科学教学总统奖. 这一著名奖项的获奖者将在白宫接受表彰，并将为他们的学校获得1万美元的奖金。 
 
“I nominated Shelley for this award because she's the most passionate and dedicated teacher I know in terms of her teaching and in students learning. 她的教学之美在于，当学生学习内容时。 She's also teaching them the skills needed to be critical thinkers and lifelong learners,” said Williams, who won the award in 1995. 
 
提名之后，有一个广泛的奖项申请。  

“What is really cool about the award is it is the most comprehensive reflection that a teacher will probably ever do on their teaching,” Gillan said. “It is such a learning experience and a growing experience that it's just cool to apply.” 
 
吉兰最近被选为该州的获胜者，目前正在等待白宫宣布的最终决定。 
 
“I really think that my time at 太阳城娱乐官网 set me up very well for this award,” Gillan said. “Partially because of the research that my students are doing and the help of the 太阳城娱乐官网 faculty. And obviously everything I learned as a part of the biology master’s program. 你甚至可以回顾一下我在太阳城娱乐官网获得的教学学位，这让我成为了现在的老师。 There's a lot to thank 太阳城娱乐官网 for relating to this award.” 
 
吉兰也感谢她的导师和朋友威廉姆斯。 And she believes that she might have accomplished her goal of becoming “as good as Judy.” 
 
“At one point, maybe within the last couple of years, I was like, ‘I might be as good as Judy,’” Gillan said. “It just occurred to me: I might have actually accomplished my goal.”