After the farewell of over two dozen teachers from Herriman High, new teachers have come to find their place in our halls and classes. Due to the teachers being brand new this year, the students at Herriman High don’t know much about them. Let’s introduce some of our new staff.

One of the 4 new editions to the Language Arts Department is Jack Collum located in room 2404. Collum is originally from Louisiana, but he received both a Bachelors and  Masters degree at the University of Utah. Before Herriman High, he taught at a middle school and a high school. 

Collum ended up here this year because he has personal connections to the school. He explained, “My younger brother attended Herriman and always had great things to say about his teachers and classmates, as well as his experiences here in general. When the chance to work here came to me, I didn’t hesitate.” 

Although his time at Herriman High has been short, Collum really enjoys teaching and can’t wait to learn more about his students and the culture at this school. When asked about his experiences so far, Collum responded, “The students have been wonderful throughout all of my classes. Across my six English/Language Arts classes, all of my students have been a real joy to teach…Other staff members are always checking in on me and leaving me snacks, so I really feel like part of the school family already.” As the year progresses, Collum hopes to keep feeling the unity and helpfulness found at Herriman High.

This year, the Language Arts Department said goodbye to many teachers and said hello to many others. Julia Cramer is brand new to the Herriman High Language Arts Department, along with Jack Collum. Cramer’s teaching career started in the Canyon School District where she had been teaching French and English Language Learning for the past 7 years. She graduated from BYU with a Bachelors and the University of Utah with her Masters. Cramer’s undergraduate degree was in French and Journalism; she also took extra classes and gained her endorsement to teach English Language Arts. She starts off her 8th year of teaching at Herriman High, and to her, teaching at this school has been great: “I am amazed by the feeling of unity among the teacher(s) and administration here at Herriman. The students are incredible-bright, respectful and hard-working.”

One of the newest additions to the History Department is Christian McGee. He’s located in room 2304. McGee, though new, is already a big hit among the students. He’s a huge Metallica fan and loves lots of heavy metal music. When asked about his teaching style and personality, Addie Pizza, a student from McGee’s US Government class, said, “Mr. McGee is just super good at catching your attention and keeping you engaged in class. He is a very unique individual and unlike any teacher I have ever had before. He’s loaded with cool stories and is always willing to help.” Many students have spoken out about how much they appreciate his passionate and fun teaching methods.

McGee’s teaching career kicked off after he graduated from Utah Valley University (UVU) with a degree in history and social studies education where he went on to teach a multitude of subjects at many different schools over the past 5-6 years. As far as how McGee ended up at Herriman High, he explained, “A close friend of mine [Ms. Wilkinson] was hired to teach [at Herriman High School] and recommended me for an interview.” He has expressed the overwhelming acceptance and help he’s gained during his teaching career here so far. In his own words, “This school is great! My students are very smart and they do amazing work for my class. All of the staff here have been very helpful and supportive.” With all the support he’s received, hopefully Mr. McGee’s here to stay for a long time.

The students and administrators were sad to see many teachers leaving at the end of the 21-22 school year, but the new teachers filling the halls of Herriman High are showing a lot of promise. The students have already taken a liking to the new staff and admire what new perspectives and ideas they bring to their classrooms and to the school as a whole. As the school year progresses, students and administrators alike wonder what exactly these new teachers will add to the spirit of our Mustang Nation.