This year Midlothian High School has welcomed many new students as well as teachers. Two new additions to the community for the 2022-2023 school year include Sophia Bastaich who will be teaching SPED, and Ashley Heyden who will be teaching Health/PE.

Bastaich is a graduate of James Madison University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies with a concentration in Special Education. Bastaich is a sixth year Special Education teacher, and in her second year at Midlo. Prior to Midlothian, Bastaich taught at Powhatan Middle School for five years, there she taught mostly 6th and 7th graders.

She loves spending time with friends and family. Bastaich is a big homebody as she also enjoys hanging out at her house with her husband and pets. While being around the house she enjoys doing DIY house projects, and exercising. Something many people may not know about Midlo’s new Special Education teacher is that she is a huge UFC fan. 

Heyden originally graduated from Randolph-Macon with a degree in history. She then continued on to the career switcher program at Regent University. Heyden has taught all over Virginia including one year in Virginia beach as well as 5 years in Richmond city. Heyden expressed that she was inspired to become a teacher by her 7th grade Tech Ed. teacher. “Mr. Bradshaw became a father figure to me, and has been with me ever since,” Heyden said. 

She chose to become a Health/PE teacher because she has always had a passion for sports, and has coached field hockey for 13 years, and teaching allowed her to continue that. She leads a busy life between coaching field hockey, teaching, and waiting tables. So when free time is available she enjoys going to car races, watching action movies, and shopping for makeup to create new looks.