Education
- Bachelor’s degree in theater from Florida State University
- Associate’s degree in acting from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (West)
- Master’s degree in theater from Texas A&M Commerce
Duties/Responsibilities
- Organizing the one act show, Shuler Awards musical, and children’s show
- Teaching acting/technical aspects of theater in drama classes
- Leading the Thespian Troupe & trip to the Thespian Conference
Starr’s Mill welcomes drama teacher Heather Jernigan to the Panther family.
She recently moved from Texas to replace previous drama teacher Lauren Kuykendall. This year will be her 22nd year teaching theater.
“I am going to continue sharing my passion for theater and finding those students that are very passionate about it as well,” Jernigan said. “Even if they’re not, theater teaches real life skills like making eye contact, interview skills, speaking loud and clear, and being confident.”
Jernigan was born in Michigan and grew up in a military household which led her to move around a lot. She spent the last 23 years in Dallas, the longest she has lived anywhere.
Jernigan’s main approach for theater is to share her passion with students. She has been doing theater since she was 13 years old. With a difficult time at home, she was able to use theater as a safe place and artistic outlet.
“I love teaching, [and] I love all things theater,” Jernigan said. “I feel very lucky that I get to do theater every single day in some sort of aspect.”
Jernigan enjoys playing disc golf in her free time. She was a part of a women’s league in Texas. She enjoys going and seeing theater in Atlanta, where her boyfriend is a founder of Dad’s Garage Theater.
Other activities she enjoys include reading, studying dialects, and crafting. Her daughter recently graduated from high school and is going off to study abroad in Berlin.