Three new teachers join the Gulf faculty

Judith Heeschen (left) will be teaching mostly English, but she will have one section of U. S. History. She replaces Kathie Harsch, who resigned.

Mrs. Heeschen was a guidance counselor in Hillsborough County for 4 and one-half years. She worked at Dickenson Elementary and Potter Elementary. She has also worked at Rodney B. Cox Elementary School in Dade City.

She was born in New Rochelle, N. Y. She graduated from Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio, and holds a B. A. degree in Sociology and an M. A. degree in Counselor Education, both from USF. She is certified in Social Studies, English, and Guidance.

Mrs. Heeschen has three children -- a son who is a computer programmer, a daughter who is a student, and another daughter who is a bar tender. Mrs. Heeschen has an identical twin, named Jeannie, who lives in Tennessee. Her twin also has a teaching degree.

Wanda McClellan (center) will teach students selected from existing classes who currently have low grades and might benefit from a smaller classroom with more individual attention.

Mrs. McClellan was born in New Orleans and was raised in Monroe, Louisiana. She has a B. A. degree from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe. She taught at the Renaissance Center in Citrus County for seven years.

She has three children, ages 20, 18, and 15. Her husband runs the MRI Center at Community Hospital in New Port Richey. She says she likes sports, and her favorite sport is baseball.

She was the Citrus County Teacher of the Year in 2002. An article in the Citrus County Chronicle describing her departure from the Renaissance Center to come to Gulf is here.

Patricia Zirhut (right) will teach World History and ESE English. She replaces Mrs. Chauncey, who resigned.

Mrs. Zirhut has substitute taught at Gulf High since 1998. She was also born in New Orleans, although she grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. She graduated from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, and has a B. S. degree in Varying Exceptionalities from Nova University. She is certified as an ESE teacher..

She has two sons and one daughter. One of her children currently attends Gulf High; the other two graduated from Gulf. She says that among her hobbies is raising orchids.