Mr. Heil

One of the biggest things that made Aurora stand out among many other schools were its values. “I fell in love with the Greenhouse Philosophy,” he said. “Focusing on cultivating roots of growth and not just the end results generates individuals who flourish in life. Developing and focusing on critical thinking, empathy, resilience, balance, innovation, and collaboration naturally fit with my teaching philosophy, and as I learned more about how those qualities were integrated at AHS, the more I realized that AHS is where I wanted to work. After my interview at AHS, I had a few other schools call me to schedule an interview. I politely declined the other schools as I knew I had found a home here at AHS.”

Heil hopes to help students to discover their love for learning just like one of his teachers did for him. “I had an amazing high school Chemistry teacher, Mr. Johnson, who made the subject a lot of fun and easy to learn.” Heil mentions that people and experiences like this are what helped him realize that chemistry was something he wanted to pursue, “I knew from that point on I wanted to do something with Chemistry for my career. Over time, I gained experience with teaching through tutoring, volunteering at my church’s youth group, leading a middle school ministry, and teaching a Chemistry class in Cairo, Egypt for three weeks. I realized that teaching Chemistry was my calling from all these experiences.”

Outside of school, Heil loves embracing his adventurous and curious side, he explains, “My wife and I both love to travel and explore. Between the two of us, we have been to 48 of the 50 states and 32 countries.” His excitement for learning about the world adds an even more of a creative perspective to his classroom and teaching style.

Heil has faced many challenges that have shaped into who he is today. “During my freshman year of high school, I had heart surgery to correct a condition called SVT. The surgery was done at the University of Michigan hospital. When the doctors there found out I was an OSU fan, they joked about tattooing a Block ‘M’ for Michigan on my heart,” he says. “Before I had the surgery, one of the episodes from the condition resulted in me being flatlined at a hospital for about 30 seconds to correct the heartbeat. So, I know what it feels like to be dead. Pretty crazy!”

Looking back, Heil remembers high school as an experience that helped him achieve balance and changed his outlook on learning. He states, “My high school experience was a good time of growth. I was focused academically and also was involved in sports, playing football and golf. I also was involved in helping my class fundraise for events like prom and homecoming, build floats for parades, and I played trombone for the band. I had a quality group of friends who I am still in contact with today.”