Fun facts
· Found a passion for gardening during the pandemic, and uses her new hobby to make canned sauces and salsa
· Has two Siberian cats: Casper and Chester
· Is the mother of three children – a 27-year-old son (who served in the Marines) and 17-year-old twins
· She and her husband live in Henrietta

Coming into the position as assistant director of STEP in November of 2022, Lisa Michalek said it was the perfect fit for her that allows the longtime educator to put all her talents into one job.

“I feel like I worked toward this my whole career,” she said. “Everything I did just led me here, and has developed who I am as a teacher, a mentor and curriculum developer.”

Michalek brings more than 22 years as a science teacher, with knowledge in curriculum development and student services. She is now tasked with aiding in the development and implementation of STEP initiatives, while assisting its director and being immersed in schools tied to the program.

“What I learned over the years is that kids are kids wherever you go, even if they come from different backgrounds,” she said. “I’ve worked everywhere from Rochester City School District to Fairport, Irondequoit and Rush-Henrietta, and I absolutely love to make connections with those kids.”

STEP – or Science and Technology Entry Program – is a state-funded precollegiate initiative that provides outreach to seventh- through 12th-grade students from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged groups to support pursuing college and careers in STEM fields, as well as New York state licensed professions. The goal is to provide afterschool and weekend enrichment activities to help foster academic growth, the development of a STEM identity and more, so students can successfully transition from middle school to high school and high school to college or the workforce.

The program is based in the K-12 University Center at Rochester Institute of Technology, and embedded within schools around Monroe County.