An Interview with Panther Creek’s New Principal, Dr. Hedrick
On October 16th, 2014, PCNN reporters had a special opportunity to interview Dr. Hedrick, the new principal of Panther Creek. During the interview she gave us insight on her previous work and educational experiences, her plans for Panther Creek, and even some advice for students. So far, she doesn’t have plans to change anything, rather she prefers to discover more about the school before tinkering around with it. Recently, she released a poll to the student body to learn what works at the school and what doesn’t, and she told PCNN that she aims to maximize what is great and fix what needs to be fixed.
As for her previous work and education, she has taught high school Latin and English. She really likes words, language and its influence on cultures, and the challenge of figuring out what others are trying to communicate. She has taught and enjoyed teaching AP courses. As for her work in administration, she worked four years at Lufkin Middle School and five years at Apex Middle School. She has a total of twenty-four years’ experience with public education.
Dr. Hedrick attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and studied Classics. After working a few years in middle school, she decided to return to college. This time she went to Lynchburg College and specialized in Instruction and Curriculum to become a better teacher. She then got her doctorate at George Mason University, where she describes being exposed to a diverse population and learning to be a leader.
During the interview, Dr. Hedrick opens up about her love for knowledge and education. She says that she loves watching teachers teach and students learn, and she explains her love for learning. She says that her love for learning has made her job extremely enjoyable and that she literally wakes up each day excited to go to work. She feels that it’s the way a career should be in one’s life. Her thoughts about life and work are summed up as: “a person should enjoy doing what they do every day, they should be excited to do it, and they should be passionate about it.”
