Biology
Dr. Chelsey Dankenbring is a professor in the Biology Department at Austin Community College (ACC), where she has taught for five years of her ten-year teaching career. She is passionate about making science meaningful, accessible, and connected to students’ everyday lives. She especially loves microbiology and introducing students to the fascinating invisible world that surrounds us and influences so much of our lives. Above all, she loves helping students see that biology is not simply a collection of random facts to memorize, but a way to better understand themselves and the living world around them.
How has your community college teaching experience shaped your character over your career?
Community college teaching has made me more resilient, adaptable, and willing to grow. Many of my students balance school with work, family responsibilities, financial pressures, and personal hardships that may never be visible in the classroom, and watching them continue to show up has changed how I understand perseverance. They have taught me to listen before making assumptions and to remember that I rarely know the full story behind someone’s struggles. I have also learned that fairness does not always mean treating every student exactly the same. It means meeting students where they are, providing the support they need, and still holding them to meaningful expectations. Teaching has also taught me to recognize when an approach is not working, let go of my attachment to the original plan, and try something different. Most importantly, my students have shown me that compassion and accountability are not opposites, and I strive to carry both into my classroom and my life.
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