“My message to young students is to study your passion and work towards your dreams and goals no matter what gets in your way.”—
-Kiera Wilmot, the high school student arrested and expelled for doing a science experiment, in a statement about her now-dropped charges and getting on with her life.
Read the whole thing here: Why a Science Experiment Gone Bad Doesn’t Make Me a Criminal
I’ve got your back, Kiera. No one deserves to be punished for honest curiosity.
Besides, if my teachers knew what I burned in the fume hood when they weren’t looking back during that semester of my senior year that I student-managed the chem lab? No comment …
My high school chemistry teacher did the teachable moment jujitsu and had me spend more time in the lab and to present to the class. I had, somehow created, as best as I could figure out later, copper sulphate pentahydrate, when I got caught. I couldn’t recreate it for the class. He fed my curiosity, though. Thank you so much Mr. Rudy Esparza.