Next up for Goshen’s #FacultyFriday spotlight is Pupil Personnel Services Director Dr. Heather Hendershot.
Dr. Hendershot has been working in education for the past 26 years. She served as a teacher, assistant director of special education, and special education data accountability coordinator in Middletown and Fallsburg before joining the Goshen Central School District in 2017.
“Goshen has always been my home,” said Dr. Hendershot, “and when the opportunity presented itself for me to give back to the community I grew up in, I seized it.”
The PPS director’s family has lived in Goshen for more than 40 years, she said, and she is a proud graduate of St. John’s Elementary School and Burke Catholic High School. A local at heart, she has also worked at Baxter’s Pharmacy and as a dispatcher for the Village of Goshen Police Department.
This year, Dr. Hendershot’s goals have been centered around supporting GCSD students through the obstacles they will inevitably encounter throughout their school career.
“Helping students overcome their challenges and achieve their goals is incredibly gratifying,” she said. “To be a part of a student’s progress, no matter how small, is deeply fulfilling.
“It is my goal to continue to advocate for students, working to ensure they receive the support and resources they need to succeed academically and in life,” Dr. Hendershot said.
Outside work, she enjoys repurposing antique furniture, playing pickleball, and gardening.
BONUS fact: Dr. Hendershot’s favorite food is anything with chocolate or coconut, “because it’s chocolate and coconut!” she said.