OBHS Welcomes Mr. Heusner

By Lena Gluck

Oyster Bay High School

     In September, Oyster Bay High School welcomed its new French teacher, Mr. Heusner!
     Mr. Heusner grew up in Pennsylvania and went on to attend college at NYU. He revealed that he first ventured to the “magical place of New York City at the age of 16.”
     Mr. Heusner always knew he wanted to be a teacher. He began his career as a Social Studies teacher but went on to obtain teaching certifications in French as well as ESL (English as a Second Language); he has even taught English abroad.        

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     Before accepting a teaching job at OBHS, Mr. Heusner led a very interesting life. After high school, he “was an exchange student in Turkey. Then [he] was in the army and was deployed to Bosnia and Iraq.”
After his service in the army, Mr. Heusner finished college at NYU before traveling abroad to “teach English in France, Turkey, Brazil and Columbia.” When Mr. Heusner returned to the United States, he taught in the Bronx, and last year he taught in Harlem.
Mr. Heusner revealed, “I was always interested in the idea of becoming a teacher. I went into the army, and I was in the medical field. Once I finished with the army, I became a teacher.”
    When asked about his favorite thing to teach, the new French teacher said, “There are lots of things I enjoy teaching. In a perfect world, I would teach a lot about culture and conversation, but we are preparing kids for college, so we also have to practice grammar and reading.”
     He hopes to teach students that most things in life are not about being right or wrong, but rather about getting your point across and advocating for what you think is important.
    Mr. Heusner also made it clear what he hopes to accomplish at OBHS. “I think my biggest goal is to cultivate a passion for not only learning, but for cultures and realities that exist beyond our own.”
      In his free time, Mr. Heusner loves to “run and workout, and [he] likes to read.” He also takes an interest in hiking, stand-up comedy, politics, and baking (he is trying to get better at cooking).
      Mr. Heusner’s message to the community is made clear when he states, “I am happy to be here, and I am looking forward to getting to know the school and the community much better.”
     Oyster Bay High School is elated to be able to welcome Mr. Heusner to our community!