I LOVED science as a kid. But I never truly had an outlet that allowed me to be creative with it early in life. My school didn't even have a science fair. This is one of the reasons I do what I do now.

My first "spark" as a child was my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Burruano (who later became principal of Hillcrest Elementary, then principal of Peekskill High School, and is now principal of Putnam Valley High School), who let me spend hours of free time in the back of the classroom tinkering with different science projects. Thanks, Mr. Burruano!