Molly Heidenreich
Assistant Principal
Bachelor of Arts, History, Saint Mary’s College; Master of Art, Counselor Education, The Ohio State University
Ms. Heidenreich joined the faculty at Ohio Connections Academy in 2011, initially serving as a school counselor. Since then, she has taken on positions of increasing responsibility, including Coordinator and Manager of Counseling Services, before accepting her current leadership role in the school’s administration.
Help the Person, Help the Student
Ms. Heidenreich had always known she would become a teacher, and that’s where her career began – in the classroom. But as she worked with those first students and got to know them as people, she came to understand that many of the challenges they faced were not fundamentally about the academic material.
“I quickly realized that students were struggling with so many things [that were] not academically related,” she explains, which “were ultimately impacting their ability to be successful.” This led Ms. Heidenreich to an early shift in her career as an educator.
Graduation Is a Celebration
During Ms. Heidenreich’s tenure, the high school graduation rate has improved dramatically. It’s now approaching 80%. She attributes that success to the hard work of the entire high school faculty, noting that “the planning” plays a critical role in the long-term success. Ms. Heidenreich is confident that the graduation rate will continue to rise even further.
Even though Ohio Connections Academy is a fully online institution, the school’s commencement ceremony is a traditional, in-person event, in which the entire senior class is celebrated. It’s a very emotional day for Ms. Heidenreich. “Watching the students walk across the stage, knowing everything [they] have overcome and achieved, is humbling,” she says.
Outside of school Ms. Heidenreich enjoys running and spending time with her family. She also coaches her daughter’s youth soccer team. “I love the opportunity to get to work with the children in my community,” she says.
Watching the students walk across the stage, knowing everything [they] have overcome and achieved, is humbling.
— Ms. Heidenreich