Aces of Trades: Shepherd is helping students find their path at Zane State College
ZANESVILLE – She discovered she has a heart to help students.
“As a kid,” recalled Heather Shepherd, “I dreamed of traveling. I wanted to be a journalist and work for National Geographic. I also thought about studying law or public policy. I’ve always had a very strong instinct for social justice, and a desire to act on it. I studied journalism for a couple of years in college, until I became disillusioned. Then I studied archaeology. I love culture and history.”
But the teaching profession ran in her family.
“I started substitute teaching when my kids were young,” she said. “I found that I liked substitute teaching, because it’s something different every day, and I really connect with high school kids. They’re just so much fun to be around. It seemed like the nerdier and cornier I was, the more comfortable they became with me. They so frequently give off the impression they’re young adults, but they’re just kids in big bodies. They’re vulnerable, and they want to be taken seriously. They want someone to listen to them.”
Today, Shepherd is dean of admissions at Zane State College.
“I oversee the recruitment and process of becoming a Zane State student,” she explained. “I also oversee the college credit plus staff, so we still have a strong connection with high school students. At first, I was afraid I would miss my connection with the students. But while I don’t see them as much as I used to, I still affect their experience by mentoring and guiding their advisors. I’m able to instill that same passion for serving the students.”
Shepherd grew up in Pennsylvania, moved to Oregon in middle school, then back to Pennsylvania for the last year of high school. She attended a couple different colleges before graduating from OUZ in 2000, then earned a master’s in teaching from Muskingum University in 2006.
“I had all kinds of jobs, besides working in education, before starting at Zane State,” she said. “I worked in the restaurant industry, which I enjoyed, but the hours weren’t good for parenting. The customer service experience was a very important part of my character development, though. I would recommend it for everyone!”
“I started at Zane State in 2010 as an advisor for the pathways to engineering program,” she added. “I remember seeing the job description and thinking, ‘Wow. This is my dream job! I get to connect high school students with life-changing – even generation changing opportunity! I don’t have to teach. I just help them understand how to take advantage of opportunities. I listen to them and laugh with them. I help them navigate the road to adulthood.’ My roles have changed over the years, but the core of what I do remains the same. I help students feel seen, heard and respected.”
“Heather has an energy about her that’s infectious,” assessed Michaele Druckenbrodt, computer apps instructor with Mid-East Career and Technology Centers, “and her daily goal is to create opportunities for students. The projects she has overseen have all been positive additions to a student’s list of options at Zane State.”
“I love what I do because I’m able to change the trajectory of a life,” Shepherd responded. “The smallest effort can make all of the difference in the life of a student. That difference ripples outward affecting the student’s entire life, and by extension, the student’s family, the community and the region. I’ve received so much love and support in my own journey. I find purpose in paying that forward.”
Zane State College is located at 1555 Newark Road in Zanesville. For more information, call 740-588-5000 or log on www.zanestate.edu.
About the Series
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at trnews@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Aces of Trades: Shepherd is helping students find their path at Zane State College
