Jason Faulkner
Science and Mathematics
I was born and grew up in Augusta, Georgia, the older of two children. My beautiful “baby” sister works in marketing and lives with her husband in Nashville, Tennessee. My father is an ordained Methodist minister and currently serves as the chaplain for an oncology practice in Augusta. My mother teaches middle school math (yea mom!!) at Westminster Preparatory School in Augusta, from which I graduated in 1994. I am blessed to have grown up in a very loving, very communicative, Christian family. My mother fueled my analytical, scientific mind while my father inspired within me a passionate, introspective, and creative spirit.
I received a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1998. Not quite ready to venture into the “real world,” I joined the Aerospace Engineering graduate school at Georgia Tech, receiving my Masters with focus in Combustion Sciences in 2000.
After receiving my Masters, I took a position at Georgia Tech as a Combustion Research Engineer. During this time I also volunteered as an 8th grade youth counselor at Northside United Methodist Church. It was during this time that a soft voice started to call me towards children and perhaps even teaching, but I did not yet perceive the significance.
I worked at Georgia Tech for just over one year, after which time I decided to take a stab at the corporate arena; in 2001 I moved to Houston, Texas, and joined Fluor Corporation, an international engineering and construction company. I would not trade my Fluor experience for any other, but by the time I was approaching my 5th year anniversary with the company, the unbalanced corporate lifestyle began to take its toll on me. I had too many different interests in life to be spending the overwhelming majority of my time married to my job. God was stirring me to make a change, and about this time, that teaching bug started to bite again as well.
In December of last year, after much prayer and deliberation, I made the biggest leap of faith of my life. I resigned from a very promising career with Fluor, sold my house in Houston, and moved to Atlanta with no place of my own and no job. Why Atlanta? I felt very strongly that God was moving me back – to reestablish roots, friendships, and balance.
I was fortunate enough to have friends that let me live with them until I found an apartment, and Georgia Tech was kind enough to rehire me as a temporary Research Engineer until I decided on a permanent job. More words from God, now spoken through friends as well, prompted me to start looking for teaching positions. Several weeks later I was sitting in Dr. Owens’ office learning about the vision of Heritage. I visited some classes and met several of the students. Driving away that day I could not believe how strongly I felt drawn to Heritage; it immediately began to feel like home, and God was already preparing in me a heart for its students.
Before the end of last school year I was blessed with a position at Heritage as the new Classes 5-8 math and science teacher. I cannot express enough my excitement about what God is doing in my life. I look forward to knowing you and your children this new school year as we grow together under God’s leadership!
When I find spare time, I enjoy photography, grilling, music, writing, and ultimate frisbee. I hope to eventually incorporate some of these interests into club activities at Heritage.
