Teachers play a critical role in shaping the lives and futures of students. Through hard work and dedication, they step into the classroom each day not only prepared to share their own knowledge, but to also help children develop skills and values of their own. Inside and outside the classroom, teachers never fail to showcase how talented they truly are. At Hempfield Area Senior High School, there is even one teacher who can both explain Sir Isaac Newton’s Three Laws of Motion and sing opera. Mr. Mike Chovanec, the high school’s Honors Physics 1 and Academic Physics 1 specialist, is a man of many talents.
As a former AP Physics teacher, Mr. Chovanec is more than passionate about his subject. He even created a YouTube channel where he walks students through physics problems that pertain to homework as well as his tests and quizzes. He goes above and beyond to make sure that his students are as well versed in the subject as he is. In fact, his YouTube channel is where students discovered his secret talent. A few years ago, Mr. Chovanec uploaded a video of him singing a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” to YouTube. When asked about his inspiration for this post, Mr. Chovanec simply responded that he needed to record an audition for a “Mormon Choir”, and YouTube was the easiest way to do so. Also on his channel, viewers can find a duet with a puppet version of Kermit the Frog. In this duet, Mr. Chovanec performs an original piece for his former homeroom students when schools across Pennsylvania were on lockdown due to COVID-19, and Google Classroom Meets were the only means of student-teacher interaction.
Mr. Chovanec’s biggest inspiration is Mr. Rogers, the beloved man who had a profound impact on children’s media and early intelligence development, which is very fitting considering his character. As Hempfield Area’s own Mr. Rogers, Mr. Chovanec inspires many by his passion for physics and his talented voice. When he is not calculating the velocity of moving objects or singing, Mr. Chovanec enjoys riding bicycles, playing tennis, going to musical and theatrical performances, and playing the game “Zelda”.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be an astronaut. I also wanted to be a singer. The chances of becoming an astronaut and a singer are slim, so I compromised and became a teacher.” Hempfield Area is so lucky for this compromise because Mr. Chovanec has been nothing but a force in the science department.
