"I knew very early I wanted to be a teacher," says Toby M. Horn, PhD. "I just forgot for a while." While she forgot, she got an AB in chemistry and a PhD in biology and did postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins and the National Cancer Institute. She loved her research, but she knew that something was missing from her life. During a 6-month sabbatical, she became a potter's apprentice and consulted with friends about career paths. A Nation at Risk came out, and she remembered what she had started out to do. She took a job at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia. In the state of Virginia, it is possible to obtain certification based on your professional experience with minimal coursework. She has taught more than 3,000 students in 10 years, exposing every incoming freshman to an innovative curriculum featuring hands-on work with biotechnology laboratory methods (e.g., cells, DNA, and proteins). Now she is working to acquaint more high-school teachers with the world of research. "High-school teaching is not an alternative to academics," she says, "it is its own path. It's really rewarding if you like kids and if you really love science. It's as creative as research, only different, and the rewards can be tremendous. I give a lecture called 'You haven't failed if you become a high-school teacher.' But it was a hard decision to leave lab life, especially as a woman, because of the stereotype: 'she can't do science so she will teach.' "The truth is I can do research, and I love it. If I had to do it over, I would definitely get my PhD again. It was a real empowerment for me. Doing scientific research with a goal of a thesis develops a habit of mind. But I realized I had no interest in the standard university path. As I say, I always knew deep down I'd be a teacher."