Every time we meet someone, we have the chance either to teach or to learn. “And if we do that, if we approach every opportunity we’re given as that chance to teach somebody or to learn from somebody, then we ourselves open ourselves up to even more opportunities,” says Donna Heavner, program director of the nonprofit STEM West. This lesson is woven throughout Heavner’s career in education, one she learned from M. Scott Peck’s book The Road Less Traveled.
STEM West is a nonprofit focused on giving Western North Carolina students access to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and opportunities. As program director, Heavner informs local students about Western NC’s STEM career options to ensure they’re aware of the area’s many opportunities, noting that “our students don’t have to go anywhere else to find a really good job and make a good living for themselves and for their families.” She also promotes STEM education in schools and partners with STEM-related businesses and industries.
Heavner’s interest in education started early – as a child, she would teach her stuffed animals. She also taught a fellow classmate how to read. “I was just blown away by the impact that that had on her,” she says.
Heavner went on to spend 31 years working in schools, first as a teacher, then as an assistant principal and principal. Helping students find their gifts is a powerful part of education for her.
“That’s the beauty and the amazing power of being a good classroom leader,” she says. “It’s more than just the content. It’s about changing people’s lives for the better.”
To further her leadership education, she signed up for Homegrown Leaders in Clyde in August. One of her biggest takeaways was around emotional intelligence.
“I don’t think we can be good leaders unless we know ourselves and we know how to be empathetic to others,” she says. “And they did such a good job of giving us some skills and some ways to be an even better leader.”
Through promoting STEM in her work and finding new ways to learn, Heavner seems to still be taking Peck’s advice.