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TOP STORY OF THE DAY - A family legacy
Heather Ogborn’s love for teaching is not just a profession but a family legacy. As a third-generation educator, her passion for teaching was inherited and deeply instilled in her from an early age.
“Education has always been a high priority in my life, and after seeing the impact my grandmother, my grandfather, and my mom had made, I wanted to continue that legacy and instill the love of learning into future leaders of the world.”
Having grown up in Clay County, Mrs. Ogborn has been a part of Clay Community Schools for eight years. She started her journey as an instructional assistant for special education at Jackson Township Elementary and later transitioned to teaching kindergarten at Staunton Elementary.
“I love my kinder babies because they come in so excited to learn, and that is something I love to foster. Making learning fun and engaging and making them excited about learning will carry them through the rest of their educational journey. If they’re not excited about learning, then what’s the fun in that?”
Mrs. Ogborn recently won The Golden Apple Award and said being honored in such a way is humbling.
“It’s such a prestigious award that I’m just so thankful to be part of this elite group of educators—it’s an honor and privilege.”
Mrs. Ogborn says those aspiring to become educators should always desire to keep discovering and inspiring youth to do the same.
“You have to love learning because if you don’t love learning, the kids won’t love it either,” said Ogborn, “You have to love what you’re doing, and you also have to love the kids.”
Mrs. Ogborn, a teacher bringing joy back into education and unconditional love to the classroom, is a selfless educator who thanks her mother for her unwavering commitment to teaching. She says working in Clay County has been one of her most significant accomplishments.
“Clay Community Schools is an amazing school corporation, and Staunton Elementary is just phenomenal. I absolutely love working for this school and school corporation. I love kindergarten, and this is my passion. I feel like it’s my calling in life to inspire young leaders. There’s just so much to education that is not taught. These students need to feel loved and need to feel like they matter, and they are important.”
