Walt Borisenok P’06 ’08

Amy Allman
When you speak to teachers at
The Albany Academies, their
passion for education and
their students are evident. Teaching isn’t
just a job, it’s an inherent part of who they
are and that is certainly true about Dr.
Amy Allman.
Dr. Allman is a person who is always
on the job not because she has to be,
but because she wants to be. “The
Albany Academies, more than any other
institution, is a community, but above all,
it is really a family,” says Dr. Allman. She
encourages her students to take academic
risks and to push themselves to achieve
more than they thought possible because
she knows that the students can. “I want
my students to know they have a support
network surrounding them; and they will
learn and grow by challenging themselves
to do better.”
When Dr. Allman was very young she visited a public library in her
hometown where the librarian was holding a class on origami. She
joined the class and found herself enjoying it. Dr. Allman returned
to the class several times, each time learning a little bit more, until it
blossomed into something she really enjoyed. Origami became a hobby,
something Dr. Allman is happy to share with her students while helping
them incorporate it into math and into their lives in a different way.
“Some of my best days of teaching are when a student doesn’t
understand a concept and I have to figure out another way to teach it,”
said Dr. Allman. “I really enjoy being a part of that and seeing a student
learn and having one of those “a-ha” moments.” As much as Dr. Allman
expects her students to challenge themselves, she expects the same from
herself. Perhaps that is one of the reasons why the Academies are so
much more than just another educational institution, but a family of
people who value and appreciate education, made possible by faculty
members like Dr. Amy Allman.
Dr. Amy Allman has taught Science and Math at
Albany Academy for Girls since 2001. She holds a
Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Miami University,
a Master’s Degree from Ball State University and
a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Biology &
Chemistry Education from Purdue University.
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The Albany Academies Magazine