Here at Apex High School, we frequently have new teachers joining us. Ms. Pettifer is our newest social studies teacher, and she teaches Civics and American History. She is very excited to be teaching at Apex, and I had the pleasure of interviewing her. Keep reading to learn more about our newest social studies teacher, Ms. Pettifer.

Q: Where are you from?
A: “I am from New Jersey.”

Q: What are your hobbies?
A: “I love to cook, and I love to watch the show Survivor; it’s my favorite show. I am also learning calligraphy.”

Q: Why did you want to become a teacher?
A: “I feel like teaching is in my blood. My dad, mom, grandma, stepdad, and sister all work in schools. Teaching was just around me my entire life; I never thought twice about my career choice. Since I knew what a job was, I knew I wanted to teach.”

Q: Why did you choose your subject area?
A: “For me, the teaching came first, and I knew I wanted to teach high school. History was the subject that had the most content that interested me, I have always been interested in politics and history. I also think with the current climate of the world we realize more and more that social studies education is important. I think sometimes history can get a bad reputation as a boring subject and I want to change that.”

Q: What college did you go to become a teacher?
A: “I went to the University of Central Florida.”

Q: What other jobs did you have before teaching?
A: “I worked at Chocolate Store all throughout high school selling chocolate. I worked at a little seashore resort town where celebrities would come in, and Tina Fey would always come in every year. I also worked as a 6th-grade world history teacher, which taught me that I wasn’t really interested in teaching middle school or world history as much. Previously before this job, I did political canvassing.”

Q: If you weren’t a teacher what do you think you’d be?
A: “My dream job has always been to work in an ER, but I faint at the sight of blood. I would always watch medical shows growing up, but I would have to close my eyes. I just think the medical field is so interesting.”

Q: What were you like as a student?
A: “I was a really big perfectionist, and I was 4th in my class in high school. I’ve always loved school. I was very involved in extracurriculars; I wasn’t really athletic, so I was involved in a lot of clubs. I will say I was very talkative; the only thing I would get in trouble for was talking too much.”

Q: What do you think of Apex so far?
A: “I love it. I am so thankful to work here. I felt like I was welcomed here with open arms. Everyone was so supportive and inclusive. I think the students are great. I do not have a bad thing to say. I love that there is a community aspect and that the community is supportive of the school. The community aspect is great.”

Q: Do you have any advice for the students that get to take your class?
A: “Come in with an open mind; I think it’s the best advice for any class. Be willing to listen to others and question what you think you know. By being open-minded you can grow and learn a lot more.”

Ms. Pettifer is a great teacher, and we are so excited to welcome her to our Apex community. We hope she enjoys teaching here and continues to have a great experience at Apex High School!