Many teachers equate their lessons to planting seeds in the hearts and minds of their young students, with hopes that in the future those seeds will blossom.

The seeds planted by one Suffolk business teacher have blossomed in Candace Myrick, who graduated from Norfolk State University with an ambition to teach business.

Myrick, a graduate of Nansemond River High School, has received one of 30 Siemens Teacher Scholarships, which are awarded to students with career goals teaching math and science.

“We congratulate Candace on her achievements at Norfolk State University,” Siemens Foundation President Jeniffer Harper-Taylor said. “Our nation needs more dedicated scholars like Candace who are committed to teaching in the critical STEM fields. We are proud to support her in these efforts and welcome her into our family of Siemens Scholars.”

The $4,400 scholarship was presented in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which provides opportunities to students enrolled in historically black college and universities who are pursuing teaching careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

One facet of the scholarship is to provide scholars with a laboratory-style teaching opportunity through the program’s Science Day program. It is a nationwide initiative in partnership with Discovery Education that has reached more than 54,000 elementary and middle school students in the past four years, since its inception.

For the program, Myrick taught elementary students at a Norfolk school about elasticity.

“I decided my freshman year of college that I wanted to become a business teacher,” Myrick said. “It was mostly because of my business teacher in high school, Tina Paul. She was such a great inspiration to me. I enjoyed her and the class, and she made me want to do it. The things she taught us were relatable to real world experiences.”

Myrick is the daughter of Emanuel Jr. and Elayne Myrick.