Naomi Wagner, 2025 American Association of Physics Teachers and SPS SOCK Intern

Biography

SPS Chapter: Oglethorpe University
Hello! My name is Naomi Wagner and I will be the 2025 SPS SOCK intern. I am ecstatic to work in physics outreach and communication this Summer. I have a heart for both physics and education as I am a rising Senior physics major and a preschool science/music teacher part-time. I believe that the desire to learn begins from a young age, and initiating physics learning now will set students up for a lifetime of physics learning. Outside of school I LOVE to play music. Piano, trumpet, and guitar are some of my favorite instruments to play. You can catch me listening to jazz, folk, pop, and pretty much anything that puts me in a good mood.

Internship

Host: American Association of Physics Teachers/SPS Science Outreach Catalyst Kit Intern

Internship Blog

Week 1

SPY MISSION WEEK 1 – Mission Location Reached
Hello, I am Agent SOCK25, but you can call me Naomi, which may or may not be my real name. I have been tasked with the mission of creating a Science Outreach Catalyst Kit this Summer as I partner with the AAPT and SPS to bring Physics demonstrations to K-12 students across the country!
I touched down on Monday morning, got to my dorm, and quickly unpacked my humble belongings into my new home for the Summer. After I finished pulling everything out of my suitcase, I decided it was time to eat something. Just as I left to pick up groceries, the elevator opened to my roommate, Rosie, and her sister. We all walked back to the dorm, and I discovered they were stopping on their way to the National Arboretum. So, I settled for a snack and decided to join the pair on an adventure to the gardens. It was such a perfect day for a walk among the plants. We smelled the rosemary, thyme, and other herbs growing in the edible part of the garden. We saw azaleas blooming in every shade of pink and stopped to waft the sweet perfume of the Magnolia trees, which are the State tree of my home state, Georgia. After the arboretum, we got groceries, ate dinner, talked, and watched The Little Mermaid live action. It was a better first day than I could have imagined.

This week I dived into Brainstorming for my SOCK, and if you couldn’t tell from my introduction, I have decided to create a Spy themed kit. In my demos I would like to explore topics in optics, magnetics, quantum mechanics, and musical resonance.
Throughout the week some of the interns have been watching the reality TV show Secret Lives of Mormon wives. It has been a great way to get to know my fellow interns and collectively root for our favorite Mormon mom. As a group we also went to eat tater tots and sing Karaoke at Tonic on Friday night after the Trimble Lecture. It has been an amazing week of bonding.

This Saturday was my first trip to the National Orchestral Institute and Festival. We listened to the New World Symphony composed by Antonin Dvorak. I learned so much about the foundation of American Music, and look forward to hearing more from the talented students at the NOI+F.

Sunday was composed of going to Union City Church with Rosie, then visiting the Farmers Market at DuPont Circle, followed by an afternoon at the National Gallery of Art.
Although my spy mission has only just begun, it seems that I have fallen in love with D.C. and my internship. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the Summer has to offer.

Week 2

SPY MISSION WEEK 2 – Now you see me, now you don’t
Agent SOCK25 reporting back on week two of my summer mission. This week I experimented with invisible inks. I tried seven different contenders which included mixtures of cranberry juice, orange juice, Sprite, and sugar with water. I wrote using each mixture on a piece of paper and let it dry. When they were all dry, I tried several methods of heating up the paper to reveal the hidden messages. I found that heating the sugar water mixture over a candle is the best method so far.

I have also decided on some other gadgets and gismos that I would like to include in my SOCK this year. Such as a compass, laser maze, and color decoding glasses. But that is just a taste for what this spy has up her sleeve.

This week’s activities included going to Coffee Republic to work with Rosie and MJ. We also did some cooking at home and made delicious chicken salad sandwiches on fancy bread and homemade popcorn (only because we took it out of the microwave too early, but it worked). Sanyia also came to join us and our popcorn adventures, and we watched season one of Ted Lasso.

Another one of this week’s adventures included going on a dinner cruise on the Potomac River. I sat next to Alacia and Jack. Jack and I matched our yellow outfits, and we didn’t even have to plan it! After dinner we all went upstairs, and DJ Rob and I had a fun time on the dance floor. The night continues at Boardwalk, a bar on the Warf, where many deep conversations were had between the PhDs and the Students.

Although I forgot to take a picture (again), I saw the National Orchestral Institute and Festival again this Saturday and was once again blown away. They featured Felix Mendelson’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. But between you and me, my favorite is between Alfred Schnittke’s Not a Midsummer Night’s Dream, which was a chaotic mix of disonant melodies that always concluded with grace, and Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, which was featured in the Walt Disney classic, Fantasia.

On Sunday, Kalen, MJ and I went to the Spy Museum, where I was able to soak in lots of inspiration for my SOCK. I now feel inclined to include something of a Morse Code nature in the box. We shall see if it is at all possible (but for this Spy, I think it is).

To conclude this week’s blog, here is a poem I wrote about being an intern:
I do not know quite where I am
And yet, I’m happy here
In the home of Uncle Sam
I’ll get a souvenir.
With tower tall, museums long
And so much more to do
I’m only just an intern,
But still part of the Zoo.
I work inside a palas
Where nobody resides
And sometimes it gets quiet,
If I must confide.
But I get coffee every day
And snacks if I so wish
Just to come home, and have to cook
For my own very dish.
The best part is the people
Second is the job
I like meeting new faces
And doing what I love.
I’m only just and intern
But from here I can see
This summer might just change my life
And that’s just fine with me

Week 3

SPY MISSION WEEK 3 – Down to Business
Welcome back, Agent SOCK25 here. Spy missions are known for their death-defying stunts and riveting adventure, and I have to say that working in ACP (American Center for Physics) gives James Bond a run for his money. Every day when I get my daily hot chocolate from the fancy espresso machine in the kitchen, I risk my life just hoping it wasn’t poisoned as I look away.
This week kicked off with meeting my mentor Justin Harren IN PERSON!! Whooooo. We had previously been meeting over zoom, as she lives in Minnesota. We had a lovely conversation, and I have now decided what I want to focus on for my AAPT Summer Meeting presentation. Which is, how to teach physics/science fundamentals at the early childhood level using our five senses. I am super excited to share activities that I have personally done with elementary kids and look forward to hearing from veteran teachers about how to better teach these concepts these simple, yet scary topics for some teachers.

Monday night, Rosie and I made some of the BEST taco salad ever (maybe I’m biased, or was just very hungry). But once again, we have accomplished making our food look like artwork. It was beautiful and delicious and look forward to more cooking adventures.

On Tuesday I went on a run around the national mall and finally got to see some of D.C.’s classic monuments up close. I ran around three miles and took lots of pictures of me and states I hold dear.

On Wednesday I went to the ACP Maryland office and got busy planning some of my demos. I ordered lots of things that I get to test out next week. I used some of the materials I found from previous SOCKs to test out a lazer maze, and a telegraph. I also had lunch with Jack and Gray White and got to talk about my last summer’s research on ants.

Friday night was quite eventful. First, my boyfriend Erik arrived at DCA at 7:00pm, and it was a joyful reunion. After some flight mishaps, cancellations, and rescheduling, Erik made it safely to D.C. Our plan A for Friday night was to head to Tonic and sing Karaoke, but then there was a flash flood warning and torrential downpour outside. Which prohibited us from going out anywhere. Instead, we went with plan B, Rosie and I hosted a karaoke night of our own at the dorm (sorry neighbors), and simultaneously celebrated Sanyia’s birthday. Which we didn’t get to celebrate on her actual birthday because she was in Alaska for the AAS conference.

Saturday was spend at the Library of Congress, where both Erik and I got our library cards which allowed us to visit the main reading room. It was so YELLOW inside! In the afternoon we went to the National Air and Space museuem, which is a must see in D.C.

In the evening Zhane, Kavin, Erik, Rosie, MJ and I all went to the NOI+F with Jack. The performance this week was surrounding Joseph Maler’s “Resurrection”, and featured Jasmine Barne’s Kinsfolknem. Jasmine’s piece was an experience to behold as she integrated four soloists (Flute, Oboe, Bassoon, and Clarinet) into the soulful symphony piece she had composed. All in all, it was a wonderful performance, and maybe the best yet.

On Sunday, Erik and I went to the United States Botanic Gardens. It was so cute, and my favorite part was the children’s garden where they allowed kids to actually plant flowers and other leafy vegetation in the garden beds. After that we has lunch at restaurant and cafe named Tatte (which apparently was inspired by the Yiddish name for “daddy” according to AI). We followed up lunch with a trip to the Holocaust Museum. It was a solemn, yet valuable experience that sparked good conversation about the state of our nation.

Sunday evening Erik had planned a surprise date for us. He told me to wear something nice, so I did. As we walked toward our secret date destination, I saw signs for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Lo, and behold, Erik had gotten us tickets for Les Miserable. I had never been and was only vaguely familiar with the plot. But it was absolutely phenomenal. There was romance, humor, and of course tragedy that all melded together in a wonderful musical performance.

I conclude this week from a line from Les Miserable that resonates with me.
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.”
- Victor Hugo
P.S. Here’s a little easter egg of Erik at the Library of Congress.