Adam Freedman, a civil and environmental engineer at MIT, visited Ms. Reder’s 6th grade classes and shared what being a scientist is really about. He tracked his career as a curious middle schooler all the way to an internship with NASA and a job with the EPA. He now works at MIT finding news ways to use bacteria to develop sustainable energy production. Adam worked with students to investigate the bacteria found on their hands before and after washing with hand sanitizer, soap, and plain warm water. Students will watch the bacteria grow in petri dishes throughout the week.