Micki Cerchiaro is a new teacher at OLSH who teaches Honors Psychology/Sociology, Government/Economics, and Honors Modern American History. She is also a well-loved assistant coach for the girl’s basketball and boy’s volleyball teams. “She’s a great coach.” says sophomore Madelyn Hoff, who plays basketball. “She’s really relatable to us because of how young she is.” Despite being new, she is certainly no stranger to OLSH, as she herself was a student here once upon a time. “OLSH is where I grew up. It has always been a significant part of my life.When I saw that there was an opening I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give back to the school that gave me so much.” After becoming a basketball star at OLSH, Micki continued to play basketball at Edinboro University, where she received her BS in Secondary Education with a minor in History. She also recently received a MEd in Instructional Technology from Duquesne University. But when did she decide to become a teacher? “I knew I wanted to become a teacher around my 8th grade year right before I went to high school. I had some good teachers that helped me and gave me the inspiration to want to help others.” She also got quite a bit of teaching experience before coming to OLSH. “I was a student teacher at Erie McDowell in Erie, PA with 11th graders. I also taught for two years at St. James School in Sewickley, and subbed around the area for two years as well.” She obviously loved being a student here, but how does she like being on the teaching end of OLSH? “It is great so far. The faculty and students were all very welcoming and helpful with any needs that I had. The community feel of the school is just as I remember it as a student.” The community feel of OLSH is her favorite thing about the school. “Being a part of a smaller school allows you the opportunity to really get to know your students, administration, and co workers. This was my favorite part of the school when I was a student, and has continued to be my favorite part now as a teacher.” However, is there anything she would change about OLSH if she could? “Dress down days during Midterms would be pretty nice… just saying.”
Even though she loves the subjects that she teaches, what other subject would she teach if she could? “Science. I love various aspects of science such as anatomy and biology. I think it is fascinating to see how organisms work.” In her sociology class, Miss Cerchiaro talks a lot about different cultures from around the world. Which places in the world would she like to visit? “My goal has always been to travel to all of the continents. I have already been to Europe, Asia and North America. Therefore, I still need to go to Australia and see New Zealand while I am down there. I want to see both Northern and Southern Africa, as well as South America (specifically Peru to see Machu Picchu). I also want to visit Antarctica to see some penguins.” She also brings in food for her students to try, but what is her favorite food? “Spaghetti and meatballs. I could eat this everyday! I also love ginger ale.” What do the students think about the food that she brings in? “My favorite food from her class were those Asian dumplings we ate while we were learning about the Chinese New Year.” said senior Andrew McDevitt, who is in Honors Sociology. “The sauce that was on them was amazing.” Miss. Cerchiaro is obviously a great teacher, but what made her want to become one in the first place? “As stated I had some good teachers that gave me inspiration to help people when I was younger, but it was also my grandfather. He was in the Air Force Intelligence and worked with the CIA. His stories peaked my interest in Social Studies and I haven’t looked back since.”