In the early 1980s, Mary Ann Tellas was majoring in biology at Indiana University, and for the first time, she had a class taught by a Black professor.
As a young Black woman, Tellas says having a professor of her own race gave her the confidence to speak up in class and pursue a career in science. Now, she’s a high school biology teacher in Indianapolis.
“I always felt as though, gosh, you know, there’s nobody like me in my classes. Nobody looks like me,” Tellas says. “I don’t want to say it changed my life, but it did give me some perspective.”
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