ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Ithaca High School (IHS) chemistry teacher Michelle Lee has made it through several rounds of the “America’s Favorite Teacher” competition, her eyes on the prize of a Bill Nye school assembly.

Lee has been teaching chemistry for 31 years and actually met Bill Nye in the late 90s when he gave a speech at Cornell University. Getting a picture with him and having him sign a lab coat of hers, Lee is looking to bring him back to the Ithaca area.

“There are other prizes to win in the competition, but I’ve hung my hat on the assembly. I impulsively signed up for it when I realized it meant an opportunity for the school to have a visit from Bill Nye, and it’s gained a lot of momentum,” said Lee.

Starting in a group of 77 teachers, Lee has made it through several rounds of voting and is now in the top 5 in her group, earning the number 3 spot and hoping to win her group overall to continue advancing in the competition.

One of Lee’s students, sophomore Jaida Burke, says the competition has been a source of excitement for students and faculty alike.

“Mrs. Lee’s class is really fun, she makes it fun to learn and her class has a really friendly atmosphere. She explains everything really well while making labs and class work entertaining. A lot of students have been sharing the competition on Instagram and Facebook, it’s pretty much become schoolwide and something that everyone is participating in,” said Burke.

The competition itself is a fundraiser for the for The Planetary Society, which was co-founded by Ithaca native Carl Sagan and is the world’s largest non-profit organization for space education.

“It’s given us, faculty and students alike, something to root for and get excited about, which has been my favorite part of the whole process. We would obviously love to win, but if we didn’t, it will have been worth it solely because the increased sense of community in and out of class,” Lee remarked.

Click this link to vote for Michelle Lee in America’s Favorite Teacher Competition.