Charlotte County teacher hopes to utilize military experience to inspire her students

The first day of school. It’s exciting yet nerve-wracking for students, and it’s coming soon.

“I welcome you to Charlotte County and a very successful school year. Go Charlotte County Public Schools!” said Mark Vianello, superintendent of CCPS.

But they’re not the only ones with first-day school jitters, so do teachers, especially the new ones.

“I’m excited. I’m obviously a little nervous, first-year teaching; to be determined how this is going to go,” said Heather Bove.

Bove is a military veteran and Charlotte High School’s new Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) teacher.

She says teaching is something she’s dreamed of doing all her life.

“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Bove. “That’s something in third grade–my best friend and I had decided we make a pact. We were going to be teachers, and she became a teacher, and I wanted to join the military.”

At the age of 18, she followed in her brother’s footsteps and joined the Coast Guard two days after graduating high school.

Twenty-one years later, she was able to turn her dream into reality.

“I had an opportunity to go to Charlotte High School, Port Charlotte High School and speak with some of the students about JROTC and I was completely inspired and decided that maybe a career change was needed and to do something kind of follow my heart and something I’ve always wanted to do,” said Bove.

And to teach for one of the same NJROTC programs she visited, the Charlotte High School Tarpons.

“I feel like I’m coming back around full circle. And now I get to use all the skills that I learned in the military to hopefully inspire these students and just give them a plan for after high school, whatever that may be,” said Bove.

Bove says she cannot wait to meet her first group of students, and she looks forward to sharing her experience in the military to teach them about what it takes to make that big step into the world.