As a college student, AP Government and AP World History teacher Mr. Frank D’Amico did not know what he wanted to pursue in the future. While he was originally interested in journalism, he was inspired by his favorite professors at Penn State to become a teacher. “History was my first love, and I just ran with it,” Mr. D’Amico said.
Although this is Mr. D’Amico’s first year teaching at Heritage, he walked in on the first day with solid expectations for how his students would perform. “I knew I would have some really high achieving students, and they did not disappoint,” he said. While he is grateful for his students, he finds that they sometimes need motivation to keep going. “My favorite thing is holding the AP exams over their heads,” Mr. D’Amico said. “It’s a great road map to keep them focused, especially as the year comes to an end.”
Nearing the end of his first year teaching at Heritage, Mr. D’Amico has had to adapt to some aspects of Heritage that make it special . “Having only ever taught at one other high school that used Canva, learning how to operate Schoology was definitely an obstacle,” he said. He credits Google and his fellow teacher Ms. Jackie Quinones for his success in learning how to overcome the platform. As his career progresses, Mr. D’Amico has one wish: to stay relevant. “I think my greatest fear as a teacher is not being able to connect and relate to my students,” he said. “I will be very sad if that day ever comes.”
Senior Zain Masood, Mr. D’Amico and senior Greg Musaelian. Mr. D’Amico’s favorite experience at Heritage so far has been the Senior Breakfast. “I loved being able to get to know my seniors better, and it was a very special experience that I’ve never seen in any other school,” he said. (Photo/Zain Masood)
