By Brady Bullington
A new school year is not the only thing that’s new. We have 389 new freshmen students, new classes like Research Chemistry and Dual Enrollment US History, and 17 new teachers. Some of the best experiences in your high school life are the ones involving your relationships with your teachers. Quite a few of this year’s teachers come from different places outside of Virginia, while others are just switching into Loudoun County from another school system in the state. There are also a few brand-new teachers straight out of college.
Mrs. Cheatham, the new biology and chemistry teacher, was born and raised a Floridian. As a matter of fact, she stayed there until recently when her husband got a job offer in the area. “When I interned at a dentist’s office, that’s when I realized that I’d rather teach biology than pursue a job involving bio,” she mentioned. After she got her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Minor in Education at University of Southern Florida, she began teaching. Once she started to work here she also begun to teach Chemistry for the first time. “Teaching does run in the family,” she said after mentioning that her dad taught Chemistry. Her mom worked at a high school, and her sister works at Broad Run High School. Her hobbies include family time watching college football, doing CrossFit, and spending time with her two dogs.
On the more athletic side of things, there is a brand new physical education teacher, Mrs. Shepard. Mrs. Shepard has been waiting for a change for quite a while, and when the position of being a physical education teacher at Tuscarora was open, she went in to interview for the job. After 6 years of Adapted P.E. for special ed kids and 2 years in elementary school, she’s never never taught high school and considers it, “An amazing experience to work with you teenagers.” Specifically what brought her here is the fact that she knew Coach Fortune when he was a teenager because her dad was his football coach. During her childhood, she was raised in West Virginia. Her parents were both educators and she knew that she wanted to teach one day. She has been into sports her whole life, and enjoys camping, spending time with her twin boy and girl, and rescuing pit bulls.
Lastly, our new counselor, Ms. Bissell, is fresh out of college. Ms. Bissell graduated just this past year in the class of 2016 at Virginia Tech. Her original job involved Human Resources which then led to becoming a secretary at an elementary school. “I love seeing students and helping them with whatever they need!” said Bissell. With that, she signed up for a class at Virginia Tech and hoped for the best. “If I make it, then it’s meant to be. If not, then I’ll go from there. That was my mindset when I signed up for the class.” She made it,, and after taking the class she became an intern counselor in Prince William county. Some hobbies she has are cooking and eating, binging Netflix shows, and enjoying downtime on the weekends with her pug, Roxy.
With a school year filled with new and exciting changes, there are so many more opportunities for students to learn, grow, and achieve their goals. With brand new insight that comes along with new teachers, anything is possible.
