by Siobhan Miller

STA former speech teacher Ann Heid has returned to STA to replace former speech teacher Tyler Stewart. Stewart turned in her resignation Sept. 10 after over one year of teaching at STA.

Heid left STA two years ago to seek medical assistance for her husband, Fred, in Pennsylvania, where Fred’s mother and sister live. Fred died on April 16, 2012 of stage four stomach cancer. After his death, Heid returned to Kansas City and was later rehired as the speech teacher at STA.

Fred’s death has impacted not only Heid’s personal life but her teachings in the classroom as well. Heid hopes to pass the lessons she has learned from Fred’s illness on to her students through her words and actions.

“I have learned so much about myself and people throughout my dear Fred’s illness and have really learned not to worry so much about things out of my control,” Heid said in an email. “I try to find as many blessings in the day as I can and I hope that I show that to my students everyday.”

Despite her loss, Heid has found great comfort in her return to STA’s Catholic community. After receiving many words of comfort from fellow teachers and students during her time away, Heid has enjoyed returning to their company.

“It felt like home from the moment I walked on campus,” Heid said. “Everyone has been so great about making me feel welcomed. It feels like my whole world has changed from the last time I was here…and it has, but the consistency of STA has felt like an old friend.”

Teachers and students who worked with Heid in the past, including English teacher Katie Dolan, anticipated her return to STA. Despite Heid’s two-year absence, she feels the STA community has welcomed her back with a sense of familiarity. Senior Elizabeth Arensburg, who was in Heid’s speech class her sophomore year, agrees that Heid is a big part of the STA community.

“I think she is a great person who always has the students’ best interests at heart,” Arensburg said.

Heid plans on taking the course week by week, assessing where her students are so far. The speech course will be based on both academics and student performance in class. The main focus of the course will be building skills up to the Woodmen Speech Contest. Heid hopes students will be able to form their own opinions while also learning to understand the other side of the issue when studying worldwide news events.

Principal of academic affairs Barbara McCormick said that the administration and Heid plan on advancing the speech and debate programs at STA by “offering students a rigorous and challenging curriculum along with opportunities to compete in debate.”

“I look forward to seeing a group of girls begin to gain confidence in public speaking and to begin a new year of debate,” Heid said.

[nggallery id=333]