Ritchie Elementary School and Steenrod Elementary School students and staff members paid tribute to a much-loved teacher on Friday who fought a two-year battle with breast cancer.
Heather Schultz, who was a kindergarten teacher at Ritchie, passed away on Oct. 24, 2019. On Friday, a “Pink Out” was held at both schools, and the proceeds raised from those efforts will benefit a scholarship in her honor.
Schultz’ son, Finley Schultz, wore a pink shirt Friday that read “#MommyIsMyHero.” Steenrod teacher Mindy Iverson was a close friend to Schultz, and outside of her classroom she displayed a photo of the two of them together along with a vase filled with pink roses.
Ohio County Schools Student Services Director Raquel McLeod said Schultz was the very best mom, wife and teacher. McLeod said Schultz adored her four children and there was nothing that she would not do for them. She noted that Schultz was a PTO officer, a baseball booster officer, a coach and a volunteer at every activity in which her children were involved.
Schultz was dedicated to her Ritchie Elementary Kindergarten students. Teaching was her passion. Even when she wasn’t feeling well, she was at school teaching her Kindergarteners. Her classroom was a place where children felt safe, and they flourished as learners.
Schultz was a 1995 graduate of Wheeling Park High School. She served as a cheerleading coach at both Wheeling Park and Wheeling Middle School.
The Heather Schultz Memorial Scholarship will ensure that her name and legacy will continue to shine in the hearts and minds of all. The Wheeling Park High School graduates who earn the scholarship recipient have demonstrated the characteristics that Heather exemplified: resiliency, motivation, determination, leadership and compassion for others.
