Sara Zimmer

While growing up in rural Auburntown, Tennessee, science was Sara Zimmer’s least favorite and most difficult subject. Zimmer earned a degree in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University (2000); it was there that she began to understand how science applies to the world around her. With a desire to learn more, she continued at MTSU, earning a degree in science with an education minor (2003). Teaching became Zimmer’s passion, and she believes relevancy is where understanding and interest in science intersect.

Zimmer taught 8th-grade science in the Appalachian Foothills of South Carolina for six years while earning a master’s degree in education from Southern Wesleyan University (2008). When Zimmer’s family moved to Syracuse, New York, she became a stay-at-home mom to sons, Drew and Canyon. She re-entered the education field in 2015 as an 8th-grade science teacher at Westover Park Junior High in Amarillo, Texas. In her third year at Westover, Zimmer was awarded “Teacher of the Year” by her colleagues and then Canyon Independent School District’s “Secondary Teacher of the Year” for 2017-2018. The Zimmer family made Petal, Mississippi their home in 2020 as her husband Chris teaches information systems at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Zimmer currently teaches classes in Forensic Science and Biology at Petal High School. It is Zimmer’s wish for students to catch her enthusiasm for science within a learning community that supports rich experiences. When not in the classroom, Sara can be found reading on her iPhone, cooking, gardening, or traveling. Zimmer loves: coffee, national parks, Indian and Middle Eastern foods, farmers markets, plants, and vintage ceramic Christmas trees.