The well known honors and AP history teacher, Jen Hyland, has recently made the transition to becoming an AEP counselor.

It was Hyland’s choice to take the position, and when the opportunity arose, she couldn’t turn it down.

Hyland made the tough decision to take over Shirlee Shoben’s position after Shoben retired last spring.

After going back to school eight years ago to get her gifted license, Hyland was qualified and ready to take on a new challenge.

Hyland said, “It was a very hard decision. It wasn’t an easy decision by any means. An event the night before, I was very conflicted about changing positions.”

The adjustment does not concern her and she feels confident about her decision. Although it may be different, Hyland is now given the chance to change her life and experience a new form of teaching and guidance.

AEP stands for Academic Enrichment Program. This program allows gifted students to take more advanced classes, and it gives them a more personal plan for learning.

Hyland will now be the one to help schedule meetings and various classes for the many gifted students at Mayfield.

Although the classroom has its perks, Hyland is very excited to be starting her new position.

It may have been a difficult decision to make, but Hyland is confident in her ability to fulfill her new duties and take care of her new students.

Hyland said, “It has been a very smooth transition. Ms. Shoben left me a lot of instructions.”

She misses being able to interact with her students, and misses seeing them everyday. Mrs. Hyland’s love for history is still very big, and she will miss teaching all of her many courses. She will not, however, miss grading papers or essays

Her favorite thing about her new role is that it gives her the opportunity to interact with teens on a more personal level. She like to hear about their lives and how things are going. “It’s a much more casual relationship than teaching,” said Hyland.

Students of Hyland say that she meets with them to talk about their grades and struggles. They make goals for the next quarter and she helps advise them in their college decision.

Michael Graziano, one of her AEP students, said, “I had her freshman year for history, and for it being her first year, she’s doing really well. She is very easy to talk to and gives really good advice.

Hyland can now be found in her new office in Room 108A . She is ready to aid anybody in need of AEP counseling and couldn’t be happier with her new role.