By: Lizzy Satterfield

Dedication, motivation, intelligence, and just a hint of sarcasm and dry humor: that’s what it takes to be a teacher here at Eisenhower High School. Mr. Todd Heffern is the man with all of these qualities that we’re looking for. The Squire interviewed Mr. Heffern to get some information on his interesting life.

The Squire: What made you want to become a teacher?

Mr. Heffern: A love of history, and I had an incredible history teacher who also had a passion for history.

TS: What’s your favorite part about being a teacher?

MH: My favorite part about being a teacher is that I get to share my passion for history with students every day. (I still can’t believe they pay me to do this job!)

TS: How long have you been teaching?

MH: It seems like an eternity.

TS: Did you have any role models that inspired you to become a teacher?

MH: Upon hearing that I became a history teacher, Mr. C.J. Pierce, a former Oil City High School history teacher, was reported to say that “I was not his best student.”

TS: Did you always want to be a teacher?

MH: Not until I took Mr. Pierce’s class. At first, I ignored my “inner history voice” and enlisted in the Air Force. Then I earned a degree in business. Eventually I followed my heart and returned to college to become a social studies teacher.

TS: What subjects do you teach?

MH: I teach Military History, Sociology, U.S. II, Forensic Psychology, A.P. U.S. History, and Psychology.

TS: What do you like to do in your free time?

MH: I like to read history, travel, hunt, spend summers boating on the reservoir, and haul my sons to hockey and soccer games all over Western New York and North West Pennsylvania.

There you have it folks, the amazing and wonderful life of Todd Heffern. Back in the day, I took the A.P. U.S. History course with Mr. Heffern, and let me tell you, even though I am not a fan of history, I looked forward to attending that class every day, and not just because Chris Sanders also took the class. Mr. Heffern is a helpful and respected teacher, and The Squire implores you to take any classes that you can with this teacher spotlight.