Whether it is building balsa wood gliders, assembling water-powered generators, or repurposing cardboard into chairs, everyday students learn a new skill set in Erica Cheva’s engineering classes. 

An important figure in the Olympic Heights’ engineering academy, Cheva is celebrating her 20th year as an educator. On campus she teaches AICE design and Aerospace Engineering, and she serves as the faculty adviser for the Science, Engineering, Communication, Mathematics, and Enrichment club, commonly referred to as SECME. 

Cheva is a veteran teacher whose experience made her highly sought after.  “I started looking at middle schools and high schools, and [OH] actually found me because of a lot of trainings and programs that I had done down in Miami,” Cheva told The Torch. “They had been looking for an engineering teacher for a period of time, so they asked me, ‘Are you interested?’ And I was like, ‘Yes!’” 

Cheva mentioned that it can be difficult to find teaching jobs specifically for engineering.  “When you’re looking for teaching positions, it’s hard to see what’s actually available … because sometimes, specifically Career and Technical Education, they’re not as clearly worded as science or math or English.”

When asked about her favorite part of teaching, Cheva replied, “I enjoy seeing [my students] find what interests them because we understand students don’t really know what they want to do yet or where they want to go.”  This is why Cheva incorporates a variety of engineering projects within the school year, which helps her students figure out what they like best in the realm of engineering. 

In addition to her work in the OH engineering department, Cheva has conducted research into the field of education, recently visiting Stockholm, Sweden, as part of a team of teacher researchers.  Cheva and the team presented a study they developed called Caring in Academia.  The study is aimed at figuring out how to foster a caring classroom environment for students to strive in.  In 2023, Cheva published research into how group rotations can affect student productivity.

“Sometimes when we think about education, we think about students in classrooms and districts and policies and funding, but there’s testing, right?” Cheva shared.  In addition to how to teach students, “There’s a whole behind-the-scenes network of how do we teach teachers? What do we expect from teachers?” Cheva explained. “What’s really in the best interest of students? And that’s where people in educational research look at those topics, whether it’s a preschool setting or higher education at the college level.” Cheva’s science background pushes her toward those areas of concern.  

After her students graduate high school, Cheva hopes that they not only succeed in their future college/trade school/career, but they also rely on the connections they made during their time at OH’s engineering academy.  “There’s a large student population that goes to University of Central Florida to continue studying, whether it’s aerospace engineering or mechanical or computer science, but they go as a group, and having that network is just incredibly valuable,” explained Cheva. These students have a built-in network and can reach out to their fellow OH graduates whenever they have a question.   “That’s a life skill, understanding that you have teams, and knowing how to reach out and when to reach out, and feeling comfortable reaching out and asking for help,” expressed Cheva, “because nobody engineers alone.” She also utilizes the IKAGIA chart as a useful graphic that can guide her students in finding their meaning in life.

Cheva’s dedication and investment in her students education is yet another example of OH’s amazing teaching staff that makes us the Pride of Boca! 

“Cheva brings lots of opportunities and is very helpful,” shared Thiago Perez, junior at OH.  “She is truly passionate about encouraging the next generation of engineers.”