Despite facing uncertainty at the end of last school year, the Beaker Buddies mentorship program is continuing this school year after the program was approved for an extra-service position.

Beaker Buddies pairs first and second grade students with high schoolers in certain AT science classes to have fun collaborating on science experiments. Chemistry teacher Zachary Hund founded the program in 2022 and had applied for it to be an extra service position to better facilitate it, but it was denied.

“We had asked the school to create an extra service position for one of us teachers to oversee it because there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into organizing, planning and setting up Beaker Buddies for all these classes,” Dr. Hund said. 

Hailey Purcell, a junior in AT Chemistry, was disappointed when she heard she wouldn’t be able to work with the younger students on these science experiments. 

“I was excited to do it because you’re doing different experiments — and you don’t have to do it for a grade, not that that’s a big thing, but it’s fun,” she said. 

Two days before summer break, the extra service position was approved, with Kevin Nihill now overseeing the program for 2025-26.

Dr. Hund is grateful that the program is able to run this year, as it’s rewarding for him to see the passion the various students have for science.

He said, “It is easily the best thing I do as a teacher every single year because not only do I get to excite a bunch of first and second graders and make them care about science, but I think it’s also one of the most enjoyable things my students do.”