By ALEX VERDUZCO

Heidi Van Deventer is the newest addition to staff here at Redlands East Valley High School as the  new assistant principal. This is not her first time teaching at REV and worked during its first two years teaching summer school. Until prior to this year, she worked locally at Moore Middle School as vice principal for eleven years. At Moore her career expanded to include teaching sixth grade math, science, eighth grade algebra and English Language Development (ELD) as well as seventh grade social studies. Her background also includes being a math teacher on assignment for two years, principal of AAA Academy of Redlands, summer school teacher at Clement and Department Chair of math. 

How do you hope to positively affect the staff and students here at REV?

When I’m out there [front school gates] in the morning before school starts I like to greet the students coming into school with a smile and a wave to change their day and to possibly be someone to come and talk to. No one is perfect, not even myself, and everyone can improve.

What is your motivation in life?

My parents said that education is a gateway to college. I am a first generation college graduate in my family. They said to open up doors by reading and to always continue reading books for more knowledge.

If you could leave your high school self a message, what would it be? 

Get involved more as a freshman and sophomore, do not wait until your junior and senior years to start getting involved in clubs.

*Follow up* How would you describe your high school years?

I attended an all- girls Catholic high school in San Diego, California and I loved it. It was a different high school experience than REV, but I liked that appearance didn’t nearly matter as much and it was very comfortable going to school there. I was also the ASB historian and I played right field on the Varsity softball team. I enjoyed high school but college was an easier experience for me.

Where did you attend college?

I went to Cal Poly Humboldt State and Point Loma Nazarene University after high school. I love math and I even tested out of math in college but I took them anyway as electives.

Which hobbies and/or interests would you like to share with students to take interest in?

I like watching the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. I have always been interested in sports and I consider myself sports-minded. I also really like ceramics. I started becoming interested in high school and throughout college but I don’t make any ceramics anymore, I mostly just watch TV programs.

What are the highlights of your career?

The highlights of my career would be when I get to have students on campus and know that I taught their parents previously at Moore or Clement and see them around the school. Overall being able to see that my previous students now have successful jobs in life. Also seeing them succeed and do well in school is always a great thing.

Any words of wisdom for the students at REV?

I would tell them to believe in themselves. I am an open book and I have an open-door policy. The students are always welcome to stop by and chat.

What guided you to this career choice? 

I have always wanted to be a teacher. Even when I was a kid I loved to play school and pretend to be the teacher. However, it wasn’t until I started teaching at Clement that I had decided to go into administration.

Correction: Ethic News incorrectly published information in the original Sept. 27 posting of this article stating that Heidi Vandeventer taught English. Heidi Vandeventer was math department chair at Moore and Clement. She taught eighth grade algebra and English Language Development, but not English. The article was updated to reflection this correction at 2:29 pm on Sept. 28.