Her passion for dance evolved into Megan’s off-hours role, directing the Ohio Dance Machine, the sidelines dancers for the MLL’s Ohio Machine. Megan’s passion for education became her day job, high school science teacher. But a life changing trip to Kenya in 2012 created another new mission for Megan, to connect high school students to the experience of visiting Africa. The result is “Urban-Eco,” a non-profit organization that Megan created with two equally passionate teachers, which is allowing students and teachers to visit Kenya, to experience a global perspective on the issue of conservation.
As Megan explains, “I first visited Kenya in 2012 while working on my Master’s degree. From the moment I stepped off the plane I fell in love with the country and the people. It was everything, from working with the Kenya Wildlife Service scouts, researchers, to meeting David Western and hearing him speak about the development of Amboseli national park, tracking lion movement at four in the morning with his son David Western, and working with the Maasai tribes. The experience was life changing and decided I wanted to share this experience with others and change their lives, too.”
The conclusion of Megan’s trip was a safari with her twin sister Jenny, also a high school teacher, and two other classmates. “We became so enchanted by what we learned, that we talked about sharing this experience with our students,” Megan continued. “I am proud to say that less than six months later, with the help of my sister and another teacher, we co-founded the non-profit organization Urban-Eco.”
“Urban-Eco’s mission is to provide hands-on experiences that infuse scientific inquiry and cultural immersion with educational volunteer opportunities for teachers and students on a global stage and local stage, and develop sustainability and community based conservation in an urban setting,” shares Megan.
And in the short time since 2012, Megan’s organization is already accomplishing its exciting vision. “This past summer, two years after our first visit, Urban-Eco made the inaugural trip with seven students and four teachers to Kenya,” Megan recounts. “It was such a wonderful experience, for it wasn’t just their first time out of the country, but out of their city. Students learned so much from the trip and even designed and carried out their own research project while in country. It was amazing to see the students grow and change while we were there; students began to realize how much they take for granted, and that the end of the trip wasn’t the end of their journey, they wanted to share this experience with their friends and families when they returned home, and do so much more.”
Urban-Eco is moving forward, with goals of moving in more directions. “We are currently planning our next trip and would like to expand the program to other locations and incorporate mountain gorillas, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, working with the cheetah conservation fund, and even marine life in Cape Town. It takes about two years to help our student’s fundraise for the trip to Kenya, so we will offer small trips in the off years to allow for more opportunities for students to get involved.”
To find out more about Urban-Eco or get involved please check out their website, urban-eco.org or visit Urban-Eco on Facebook for regular updates. But Urban-Eco is just part of her purposeful life, and Megan was kind enough to share with UltimateCheerleaders the joys of dance, teaching, and being a twin.
With two older brothers, Megan was born in Columbus, Ohio, with a best friend born on the same day. “Some of my favorite childhood memories involve dancing and performing with my sister,” recalls Megan. “Having a twin sister is the best experience in the world; the fact that we both share a passion for dance makes life even better. For me, there’s nothing quite like when I’m dancing with my sister, it’s very harmonious and invigorating.”
Megan’s twin Jenny is also leading the way in pro dance, being the founder of the brand new Chicago Thunder Dance Team in the MSFL. “Aside from both loving dance, she and I share the same passion for education and teach at the high school level; her passion is business information and technology, and I teach my passion of life sciences,” Megan says.
Jenny is in Chicago now, a couple of states away from Ohio, which is a change for Megan. “My twin is my best friend; my support, my courage, and my sanity, and it’s hard going from seeing her almost every day of my life to just holidays and special occasions, when she moved away. It’s tough saying, ‘Hey I want to meet up and run some choreography by you’, when you’re six hours away. In spite of the distance, we are closer then ever; talking multiple times a day and it makes any opportunity to dance with her that more special.”
Family has played a big part for Megan, as her mom played a big part in both her vocation and avocation. “I started out dancing when I was very young, around three years old,” Megan remembered. “I have my mom to thank for dancing, she always made sure I had opportunities to try all sorts of things and decide which ones where for me. As I grew up, I tried all styles of dance: ballet, tap, jazz , and modern. When I was in high school, I learned pom and kick line styled dancing, and when I was in college, I added hip-hop and breakdancing to my repertoire.”
College was guided by Megan’s lifelong interests and her mom’s daily example. “Growing up I was always interested in the science professions, from veterinarian to aspiring to be the first women on Mars, but I always knew my profession would be in science,” Megan says. “I always enjoyed sharing what I learned with others, and helping others discover their passions, and what better way than to teach? I have both my parents to thank for their support over the years, and am proud to say I follow in the footsteps of my mother, as she too is an educator and has truly been an inspiration to me in and out of my classroom.”