Students in Eighth Grade Science Teacher Kathryn Jeakle’s class test water samples in the Native Classroom. Courtesy of Kathryn Jeakle.

There’s a day that every student taking Marine Science knows well — fieldwork day. The day when students trudge across the Native Classroom in their rubber boots and head into the water to take a sample. Some of them wear wide grins, others stifle groans. Eighth Grade Science Teacher Kathryn Jeakle watches it all happen, and regardless of their reactions, she knows the middle schoolers will learn from the experience.

    “Walking out in the mud is intimidating,” she said. “I think that [whether you’re] wanting to try and maybe liking it — [or] maybe not — at least you can go home with a story.”

    Jeakle has taught middle schoolers since 2011, providing students with the opportunity to get dirty and foster their curiosity for Florida’s natural ecosystem in the process. Now, her longtime commitment to learning by doing has earned her a nomination for the 2026 John Beakley “Marine Science Educator of the Year Award” on behalf of the Florida Marine Science Educators Association (FMSEA). 

     However, her impact on the Shorecrest community extends far beyond her coursework.

     When she first arrived, the Native Classroom was merely a breeding ground for invasive Australian pines, limiting the ability of native species to propagate. In 2015, one of Jeakle’s students, Walker Willis ’19, approached her with a solution that would permanently alter the course of her teaching.

     “We were going back to the canal to collect water quality, and it was really tough … It wasn’t as easy as it is now. [Willis] asked me, ‘Can I do an Eagle Scout Project back here and get rid of all [the Australian pine]?’ I quickly said, ‘Yeah, I’ll help you,’” Jeakle said. “So that’s exactly what he did … His Eagle Scout Project involved removing over 100 feet of Australian pine trees … then [he] replaced them with over 450 native plants.”

     Willis’ project was only the first to take shape in the Native Classroom. Junior Ryan Flugel and his brother, freshman Adam Flugel, have since completed their own Eagle Scout Projects in the area with Jeakle’s help. Ryan constructed and filled an 80-foot retention wall with shells to slow erosion around one of the walking paths, while Adam lined the underside of it with limestone rocks for the same purpose.

     “I knew that I wanted to do something outside and [in the] environment, just because I’ve always been an outdoorsy kind of guy … I had Ms. Jeakle as a teacher when I was first starting [out at Shorecrest], and it ended up being the perfect project,” Ryan Flugel said. “She put me in contact with a lot of different people that I needed to get approvals from at Shorecrest, especially the maintenance people.”

     Additionally, Jeakle hosts volunteer opportunities several times a year for Upper School students, allowing them to earn on-campus service hours for maintaining the Native Classroom and the Restoration Area at the base of Haskell Field.

     “It helps a lot to have the high schoolers come [to] volunteer and help me. Students enjoy the space, and helping with the upkeep gives them a sense of connection,” Jeakle said. “Plus … anything I can do to get kids’ hands dirty doing stuff.”

     Whether currently enrolled in Jeakle’s class or beyond it, many appreciate her unique teaching style. “She’s going to give you the information, she’s going to teach you how to do it and then she’s going to have you do it right. She’s very hands-on and very dedicated to the students,” Assistant Head of School, Head of Middle School and In-House Counsel Kristine Grant said.

     In tandem with fieldwork, she also incorporates a series of interactive projects into her lessons, such as innovative and underwater ROV constructions — her favorite activities of the year.

         “I give [students] three days to build their [innovative] prototypes, [and] they always freak out. Their reaction is, ‘Heck no, I can’t do this. There’s no way I’m going to do this.’ And then they realize that, if you just dive in and focus, it’s amazing what you can do,” she said. “The things I’ve seen these kids build … It’s absolutely amazing.”

     Ryan Flugel agreed. “I liked the group aspect of the [underwater] ROV project. I remember I was paired with kids that I don’t usually talk to, but I felt like we actually made a really good team,” he said.

     No matter where she is, Jeakle can always be found with a bright smile on her face, knowing that she’s doing her part to protect the environment and shape the next generation.

     “I always say I’m going to school every day instead of going to work,” she said.