For Allyson Gilbert '18, STEM is the throughline for world-spanning educational journeys

At just 30 years old, high school science teacher Allyson Gilbert '18 has already studied in the United Kingdom, taught English in American Samoa, traveled to Morocco as a Fulbright researcher, taken groups of high school students to Belize and Greece, scouted locations in Tanzania, earned multiple degrees and been named Sagadahoc County, Maine's Teacher of the Year.

"I've had a lot of wonderful opportunities in a very short time," she explained modestly.

Gilbert's world-spanning educational journeys started at Salve Regina University. By mistake. "I was touring colleges with my mom, and we were at another university in Rhode Island. I decided instantly I didn't want to go there, and asked if we could leave," Gilbert shared. "My mom said 'OK, there's another college I'd love for you to look at,' and we drove to Salve and took the tour. I thought – this is it. I couldn't get in fast enough. I applied for early action."

Studying fire ants and catching the travel bug

Gilbert started at Salve as a biology major and along the way added a concentration in environmental sciences and a minor in chemistry. "In high school, I had great science teachers and we did a lot of project-based, hands-on learning. Science fueled me and I wanted to continue learning in a STEM (science, technology engineering and math) field."

Gilbert noted, "I got so lucky at Salve – I was able to do live animal research as an undergraduate. I studied an invasive species of fire ant for all four years." She credits Dr. Jameson Chace, professor and chair of the Department of Cultural, Environmental and Global Studies, for continuing to drive her curiosity in biology. "He is amazing. I took any class he taught," she said.

While at Salve, Gilbert also had the opportunity to study abroad in London at St Mary's University in her junior year – a semester that changed her life.

"I had barely been outside of New England before that. Coming to Rhode Island had been a big deal for me. When I studied abroad, that little bubble of a world that I thought was so exotic suddenly felt so small. When I came back, I thought, 'Why do people ever stay in one place?'"

She began planning for her next journey immediately. "I googled 'How to teach abroad without a teaching degree,' found a program in Pago Pago and applied," she said. Gilbert finished her final year at Salve, graduated and packed her bags for American Samoa.

She was a volunteer teacher for a year on the island and applied for teaching jobs in the U.S. while considering the idea of staying in Pago Pago. An offer from Mt. Ararat High School brought her back to Maine in 2019, just as American Samoa closed the island to all travel – on or off the island – for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sparking the next generation's curiosity in science and travel

As a new teacher of science and engineering, Gilbert took into the classroom the same curiosity and kindness that she had found at Salve. "Relationship building is the most important thing we do here," she said. "Students wouldn't learn a thing in the classroom if they didn't know I also care about them as individuals."

Two years into her teaching, she began working toward her master's degree in wildlife biology from Unity Environmental University in Maine. She said, "I love being a teacher, but I love being a student too. I am always looking to learn something new."

Knowing how big of an impact travel had made in her life, Gilbert got involved in Mt. Ararat's study abroad program, bringing a group of 35 students to Belize over April vacation in 2024.

"It was a STEM-focused trip. We did bat surveying, engaged in a reforestation project, snorkeled – and we also did a chocolate tour and learned about drumming. It was the first time in years that the school offered a trip that wasn't focused on language learning, and it was completely full and waitlisted," she said.

A 2026 trip to Greece with 80 students followed, and Gilbert has set up student trips through EF Tours for the next four years – Ireland/Scotland in 2027, Japan in 2028, Costa Rica in 2029 and Italy in 2030 – all with opportunities for students to raise funds to support their trips.

"I teach in a rural neighborhood, and most students can only do one trip during their high school years. I want students coming in as freshmen to know what their options will be," she said.

Researching female STEM students in Morocco

While inspiring her students in the classroom, Gilbert never stopped seeking opportunities to grow her own knowledge and experience. In 2024 she applied (and was selected) for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program in Morocco.

Around that same time, she learned that she had been named Maine's 2024 Teacher of the Year for Sagadahoc County. "I was honored," she said. "It was a very interesting time."

With the blessing of her very supportive school district, Gilbert took a half-year sabbatical from September 2025 to January 2026 to explore the question: "How can we better empower female students in STEM so that they see themselves not just as learners, but as leaders?"

"Morocco is doing so well in the area of women's rights and gender equality – the percentage of women in STEM roles there is 50%, where in the U.S. it's 27%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. I wanted to understand what they were doing in the classroom to get these kinds of numbers."

"It turns out that it's a very complex question," she said. "I went to a lot of university classes, high school classes, talked with NGOs and learned that it goes way beyond the classroom. Forces including family, community and culture all contribute to the differences. It's not just the teachers in the classrooms influencing women. What I brought back is an idea to try and build a bigger bridge between community and schools to create that culture."

A note on culture

When reflecting on her own journey across college and career, Gilbert notes that community is at the heart of that too. "At Salve, the mission leads into the values of the community. I was drawn to the school because of the friendship and kindness I received, which comes out of that mission."

Gilbert also believes that Salve's liberal arts focus changed the trajectory of her education. "If I had been at a university that allowed me to take only science classes I would have done that. Taking classes like history, art and geology gave me exposure to different ideas. Seeing things through different lenses led to a deeper sense of curiosity and interest in what is out there. What are other people thinking and why? How can I discover more? Salve really set the tone for how I will continue on in my life."