Meet the alumni of awakening seed school
David Buckingham
Age: 27 | Location: Bozeman, MT
I am currently working and studying as a PhD candidate in physics. My specialty is in condensed matter physics with an emphasis on the thermal expansion of H2O ice. I have about one year left before I can present my PhD dissertation and hopefully graduate. My post-Awakening Seed education sent me to the Tempe school district and Corona del Sol High School, then on to Northern Arizona University where I completed two Bachelor of Science Degrees in 2010; one in Physics and another in Astronomy with a minor in Mathematics. I came to Bozeman in 2011 to begin my graduate studies in physics. I obtained a Masters of Science in Physics in 2014 and continue to work towards a PhD in physics. The most important aspects of my life are my family and friends, spending as much time as possible outdoors—hiking, backpacking, landscape photography, mountain biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. This strong connection with the outdoors germinated from the teachings of the Seed. I remember our Earth Day celebrations where we would learn about the natural beauty of our planet and, most important, how to maintain its beauty. That’s why any time I come across a piece of trash on a trail I pack it out. The practice of “leave no trace” has been engrained in me since childhood from my time at the Seed, it’s part of who I am. This is abundantly clear to me when I’m out with others who haven’t had such an Earth-conscious upbringing and things that seem so obvious to me, like not littering for example, don’t even enter their conscious thought. If only everyone had such an early education, our world would be a much cleaner place!
Denise (Davey) Anderson
Age: 33 | Location: Chandler, AZ
I live with my husband, Josh, and daughter, Elise. I graduated from Arizona State in 2004 with a B.S. in finance and in 2011 with an M.B.A. with a specialization in international business. I currently work in Tempe in business development finance helping my company set pricing and negotiate business terms in our contracts. Awakening Seed had a great impact on my life and my career by instilling in me a compassion for others and acceptance for others who are different from myself. It has helped me to work with others and understand people’s differences as we work together on projects and goals. On a personal level, it started an early love of other cultures, travel and education which continue to be things I love to experience with my family and friends. In addition to travel, I enjoy cooking, reading and supporting ASU football and basketball.