Models are at the core of the scientific enterprise. They help us make predictions, understand complex systems, generate new ideas, and visualize both the very large and the very small. The generation of models is the creative engine that drives scientific progress. In this month’s column, TST's Field Editor recounts his earliest experience with DNA model-building as a 12th-grade biology student. He also fondly reflects on his teacher, Mr. Burke, who illustrated that teachers themselves also serve as models—of behavior and attitude—through words and actions. Like Mr. Burke, a teacher’s encouragement and enthusiasm for science may be the best model our students can ever experience.