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I have been teaching at Napa Valley College as a Speech Communication Adjunct Instructor since the Summer 2016 semester. In those years I have taught classes in Public Speaking, Interpersonal Communication, Small Group Communication, and Career Communication in a variety of schedules. I have also been teaching at California State University, Sacramento since the Spring 2016 semester, and since I live in the East Bay, I have been very fortunate that my schedules have aligned so I only travel to one campus per day. However, there were two different semesters that I also taught at either California State University, East Bay (in Hayward) or American River College in Sacramento – those were very busy, freeway-flying semesters!
My interest in and passion for teaching and communication was born as a 2nd year student at Folsom Lake College – I was just taking classes to satisfy the General Education transfer requirements and exploring some different subjects but taking Public Speaking and Interpersonal Communication pulled me into that subject matter and has maintained its grip since. I later earned by B.A. in Communication Studies at CSU Sacramento in the Spring of 2011 and knew that if I wanted to teach at a collegiate level, I would need a graduate degree. I decided to go straight from undergrad into graduate school, was able to confirm that teaching was my calling by working as a Graduate Assistant and Teaching Associate and earned my M.A. in Communication Studies in the Fall of 2015. Graduate school was not just responsible for my career, but for my home life as well. It was at a future professor’s house on a swelteringly hot August afternoon in Sacramento during the graduate school orientation that I met my future wife, Julie. We began dating before the end of our first semester, and after several years of term papers, theses, comprehensive exams and job hunting, we married in August of 2016. She is the social media manager for the Fair Trade Certified non-profit organization in Oakland, and when we are not fighting traffic to get to and from work, we snuggle with our cat (Abby), watch episodes of Chopped, and try out different recipes in our own kitchen. I also enjoy watching and studying film (my Blu-ray collection is embarrassingly close to 800 in number), and recently enjoyed rekindling my long-suppressed interest in video games during the winter break. One of the main reasons I love teaching are my students. We are blessed in California to be home to a truly diverse population, and it excites me to teach people from a variety of backgrounds and to get to learn from them as well. Every class, every semester has brought a new perspective on life to my attention, and it is both an enlightening and humbling experience. I am grateful to Napa Valley College for not just providing me this opportunity to teach, but for also providing so many people the opportunity to learn about and explore all of the wonderful experiences this life has to offer. Heidi Newman, born in Virginia, migrated to Iowa, is a full blown Napa Native. She spent her formative years here, graduating as valedictorian from our own Vintage High School before heading to the southern portion of our great state.
She earned her bachelors in Chemistry from Concordia University in Irvine before making the 45 mile trek to USC to earn her Masters in Chemistry. Afterward, she began the Good Work as she taught Chemistry at Crean High School and also doing a part time stint at her alma mater of Concordia. Tying the knot in 2013, Heidi and her husband moved back home to Napa. Soon she heard the call once again to use her powers for good, and she joined the chemistry faculty as a part timer in Fall 2016. Always the trooper, she initially took our night classes before taking over morning classes from a long time part timer who retired. However, she has returned to teaching evenings due to the birth of the first of her one and a half children! That is right, baby number two is on the way, and we are excited to see a new little Newman join our world! In her spare time, when not being an awesome member of our team, supermom, and all around great person (and yes, she is all that), Heidi enjoys listening to Gaelic Music and playing the violin. (and probably long walks on the beach) Thank you Heidi for being a great asset to our team! -The Chemistry Department |