What makes a class special can vary. Sometimes it is a teacher, sometimes the material. In Advanced Chemistry: Organic Structure and Function, taught by Science teacher Will Tucker, it is certainly a balance of the two.

As anyone who has had the pleasure of taking a class with Tucker knows, class is always a good time. His genuine enthusiasm and passion for the material is infectious. His understanding and empathy for his students is obvious. All in all, Tucker is a wonderful person to learn from. Tucker described his favorite thing about teaching this course, “[The] answer is twofold. First, I love that the students in this class want to be here and are passionate about chemistry, which is not always the case in the lower level; and second, since students have a stronger understanding from their first experience in chemistry, we are able to dive deeper into the coolest parts of the subject.” 

Advanced Chemistry: Organic Structure and Function’s material is engaging and exciting. Topics like electron light absorbance, the chemical makeup of anesthetics, and all things carbon are sure to entertain students throughout the course. For any students wondering about the workload, do not fret! The typical homework assignment is four or five pages of manageable reading, with some questions interspersed to measure your understanding. In fact, if you are curious just how passionate Tucker is about this material, look no further than the mentioned reading. It comes from a one-hundred-and-twenty-page textbook written by Tucker himself! This reading is sure to make sense because it is always balanced with an in-person explanation in class where questions are always answered. However, questions of all kinds are often asked, and Tucker is always ready to answer. Whether regarding the explosive power of various household chemicals, the realism of “Breaking Bad,” or anything else that comes to mind, Tucker is sure to have an answer.

If you are interested in anything organic-chemistry-related, Tucker is the expert. If you think you are not, he is sure to amaze you with his mastery anyways. Learning about the chemical, atomic, and molecular makeup of our world never gets old. It is like gaining a new understanding of why the organic composition of our world is the way it is. As I am sure anyone else who has taken this course would agree, I highly recommend Advanced Chemistry: Organic Structure and Function!