Rodney Zinyemba

2024 "Pass the Torch" Scholarship Finalist

“He always valued everybody’s excitement about engineering and how amazing it was, with his experience from Raytheon. And actually, it felt like we were like Raytheon engineers in his class.”

Recently immigrated from Zimbabwe and trying to acclimate to life in the US, Rodney Zinyemba found a mentor in his high school engineering teacher, Mr. Cohen. He would give the class challenging real-world projects, like building digital clocks, self-driving ATVs, and even robots, and he encouraged their enthusiasm. Rodney went on to study Chemical Engineering and had a career in the private sector. But now he feels drawn to teach, so he can share his passion and be a role model to others, just as Mr. Cohen was to him.

Here is Rodney's story about Mr. Cohen, the teacher who inspired him.

Want to hear the stories of the other nine finalists? Visit our 2024 Scholarship Finalists page.

Thinking of applying to this year's program? Learn more on our Teachers Test Prep "Pass the Torch" Teacher Scholarships page.