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Since joining the team at The Discovery in June 2023, Andrew Patchin has proven himself to be quite an asset as a Museum Educator. Andrew, who describes himself as “a homebody and a nerd,” has his undergraduate degree in music and applied voice. Currently, he is a pursuing a master’s degree in opera.
“I often joke that my first opera was in utero,” Andrew says, “which was somewhat true because my mom was practicing and having her lessons when she was pregnant with me.”
Music has always been a huge part of Andrew’s life. His mother performed opera both before and after his birth, meaning he grew up learning the impact music can have. When he’s on stage, he says that it’s the happiest he’s ever been. However, his interests range to more than just music. Ever since he was a child, he’s loved exploring and learning new things, especially outside of the traditional classroom.
Andrew got his first introduction to outside-the-classroom education at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where he learned how the caretakers and biologists cared for the animals.
“Being raised by a single parent and stuff, my aunt who lived down in the Bay Area always had a membership,” says Patchin, “And so we’d go down there like twice, three times, four times a year and get hands on with the material.”
Patchin lost his aunt in 2013, but her love of education lives on through him.
“Her lifelong dedication was to education,” explains Andrew, “She was a high school teacher. In her honor, I like to have those educational experiences and show kids that there are so many things that we do everyday that we just take for granted, but there are amazing scientific principles behind them.”
Outside of his time at the museum, Andrew is quite the introvert. He enjoys spending his days off with a Diet Coke and a good book — more specifically, fantasy and sci-fi books. World-building epics such as Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones keep Andrew’s attention best. In addition, he loves to hang out with his friends. On a perfect day, he would wake up, go to the gym and then find an adventure.
Since joining The Discovery team, Andrew has continually enhanced visitors’ experiences while at the museum. Though he describes himself as an introvert, he has no problem when it comes to making friends with just about anybody who comes to visit.