My name is John Hesting and I live in Hudson, FL with my incredible wife and two wonderful children, one labrador, one new lab mix puppy (7 weeks!), a rat-terrier, and one cat.  We live on the water and enjoy it immensely, kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing, and facing down the occasional hurricane scare. My own hobbies include homebrewing and Ultimate Frisbee. I am originally from Philadelphia and as an ardent Philly sports fan, I usually spend lots of time disappointed, frustrated and cranky....but things have improved greatly as of late!

I am a teacher at St. Petersburg College’s Collegiate High School - North Campus.   I teach Honors World History and Honors Economics, and sponsor the Student Government Association, Multicultural Club, and Ultimate Frisbee team.  Our students are dual enrolled and earn their high school diploma and A.A. degree at the same time. On the college level, I teach American National Government and International Relations and am credentialed in American History.

I spend my summers taking the family abroad to places like Costa Rica, Peru, and Iceland to explore the rain forests, ride zip-lines, visit volcanoes, glaciers, and other generalized tourism. I have also led several experiential learning trips through our International Program for high school students to Rome, Italy for college credits in World Religions and International Relations. I have also traveled to Turkey with Rotary International to experience enriching cultural exchange and participate in humanitarian efforts. I believe travel is an essential part of any lifelong learning experience.

My Bachelors degree is in Political Science from the University of Central Florida and my Masters degree is in Political Science from American Public University.  I also received a graduate certificate in American History from APU. 

As a educator, I am committed to providing students with the skills necessary to be an aware and active citizen and be prepared for life in a technology-based society. It is my job as an educator to prepare students for their roles in an increasingly interdependent world and a workplace that is dynamic and technologically orientated. I will strive to lead students in acquiring the skills needed to manage massive amounts of information, become independent thinkers and develop problem-solving techniques. As I am dedicated to helping students grow in a rapidly changing, complex society, my role will always be an interactive one, where the students and I will learn from each other to meaningfully contribute to the world around us.