HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Emily Heller teaches AP Language, Composition, and English to 11th graders at new Century Technology High School.
"I got into teaching because I really wanted to be the adult that I needed in my own life when I was a student." Heller says that reading has always been a huge part of her life. "I was always that student who loved reading and loved writing. That was always my passion, even when I was a student."
She's taught high school for 12 years overall, but her experience goes beyond local classrooms, teaching from New Orleans to Slovakia. "I actually did a program called Teach for America, which at the time would send people kind of wherever and when I got the news that I'd be going to Alabama, a place I'd never been, I was excited, but a little bit unsure of what I would find. And it turns out what I found was a home for the last ten years."
And her principal, Heather White can tell that this school is home for her. "I will say Ms. Heller has such a strong connection to our students. She is a 'go-to' teacher. Her love for them and helping them succeed, her passion for making sure that students can get to college is unmatched."
Heller hopes her exposure to the world will inspire students. "I think it's been a really cool aspect as a teacher to be able to share with my students that no matter where you come from, what your background is, how you grew up, that there are opportunities that if you're attuned to like, you can really take advantage of and let those things take you to travel the world, which has been something really cool for me as a student who grew up low income. And I love being able to share that with my students, of being able to pay attention to the world around them and see those opportunities and put their name in the hat."
Heller is also Executive Director for the non-profit organization, 'CAP and GOWN Project'. The organization's mission is "to provide transformative opportunities for underrepresented secondary school students in Huntsville, AL who wish to pursue college." The organization offers ACT prep, college tours, and industry tours.
Visit CAP and GOWN Project for more information, and if you have a favorite teacher you'd like to nominate, click here.
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