Zoë Hessian

I was born in Richmond, Virginia and I lived there until I went to college at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia! 

My parents named me Zoë because it means life in Greek. My middle name is Jane, after my great grandmother. My last name is Hessian, which is from my Irish grandparents! It means “little deer.” 

I spent a summer living and working at the Nature Foundation at Wintergreen in Virginia. We had a lot of different nature education programs, and I taught everyone from babies to senior citizens! I got to design my own curriculum for a geology camp, and we had so much fun!

At A New Leaf I co-teach the Magnolias, which is the preschool group. 

My fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Winn was so incredible and inspired me to read more and be creative. My high school chemistry teacher Mrs. Salisbury encouraged me to pursue a career in environmental education and helped me understand math! In college my professor Mr. Hamed taught me so much about wildlife and how to catch snakes! I am also very inspired by Simone Biles.

 I have become more appreciative and in awe of the world we live in and all the critters that inhabit it. I used to absolutely despise bugs but now I love them! Even spiders!

For fun I like to hang out with my cats, go birdwatching, and look for cool rocks! I also love to read, cook, knit, and create jewelry. 

After spending much time outdoors, I like to think I am beginning to understand the language of birds. I also like to speak the languages of dance and paint. 

I love fruit, right now I am into watermelon and peaches. My favorite foods to eat are eloté, fish tacos, pumpkin soup, chicken piccata, and brownies. 

My favorite colors are a tie between green and purple. Green reminds me of leaves and plants. I don't know why I like purple so much, but I always have!

 I would love to scuba dive! I have snorkeled in the Virgin Islands and in Egypt and it was the coolest experience of my life.

I absolutely adore getting to spend so much time outside in nature with the kids. Every day we all learn something new, even me! Getting to help the children find what they are passionate about is so much fun!