Tenley grew up in a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California, where her passion for nature and science began. She has always loved exploring and discovering while she’s hiking, camping, and taking walks. She brought this enthusiasm to her future job as an elementary school teacher in the Elk Grove School District (EGUSD).
For over 32 years as a classroom teacher, one of Tenley’s greatest missions was to inspire her students (many of whom were inner city children) to gain a love for science and the outdoors. She provided them with a plethora of opportunities through field trips where they could observe nature, explore, and investigate. Tenley also created many science lessons for her students to participate in hands-on experiments, including observing microscopic organisms, dissecting, and investigating nature near where students lived. Students were encouraged to use higher-level thinking skills and work collaboratively. Throughout her teaching career, Tenley was excited to teach special STEM programs that included hands-on experments and a fun culminating fieldtrip to enable students to witness and use their new knowledge. Tenley always fostered a love for animals in her classroom, as well. There were many class pets over the years including guinea pigs, rats, fish, hermit crabs, and visitors such as snakes and tarantulas! Students learned how to take care of the class pets and formed connections with other life on earth this way.
Working for Splash has been the perfect match for Tenley as she has pivoted from an indoor to outdoor classroom. Everything Splash represents is a dream job for Tenley and aligns with her passion for teaching about science and the outdoors. She’s thrilled to be working for such an impactful company that changes children’s lives every day!