Jennifer Cohen, the newest teacher in the math department, has had quite the Heritage journey. On the surface, she may seem like your everyday math teacher, but in reality, her roots at this school go far deeper.
Ms. Cohen’s desire to teach has always been present, but her childhood experiences definitely had a hand in it. “I actually went to Heritage, and a lot of my old teachers are still here. Cashman taught me history, and both Tavernia and Porges are still here from when I was in high school.” Her genuine love for this school was palpable as she spoke about the opportunities it gave her. “I loved Heritage as a student; it gave me so many opportunities to do a lot of activities and be exposed to the fine arts.”
Despite being the new 7th grade math lab teacher, this is not Ms. Cohen’s first rodeo in the world of education. “I was an algebra teacher for nine years in Washington, D.C., but I moved back to Florida and now I teach here.” She said her favorite part of teaching is “getting to know the students on a personal level, watching them learn and change and grow successful is definitely my favorite part.”
Although it may be hard to believe, teachers do have lives outside of school, and Ms. Cohen is no exception. Her hobbies outside of school include “parenting my two children, Carter and Morgan. Taking them to dance and gymnastics classes and going to shows with them. Outside of my kids I like to travel, play tennis, dance, and go to the beach and Disney. Those are just some little facts about me.”
However, I’d say one of Ms. Cohen’s ‘little facts’ isn’t quite so little. She is technically Heritage ‘royalty.’ “Something interesting about me is that I was the prom queen here when I was in high school.” She was crowned prom queen in 2007 and is now back with her own children, ready to see the next generation follow in her footsteps.
Ms. Cohen, circa her Heritage days. Pictured left, she and the rest of the homecoming court (Heather Dooley, middle, Julie Quittner, right) gathered in front of the Heritage plaque, which would be featured in her newspaper. “The school looked so different back then! The 2000’s building didn’t even exist, this was the furthest building in school.” (Photo/Ms. Cohen)
