Fifteen years ago, Scott Vensel was attending school to become a pharmacist. Now he works in a Fox Chapel Area classroom. The eighth-grade Dorseyville Middle School reading and language arts teacher attended the University of Pittsburgh with the intention of receiving a degree in pharmacy, but lucky for Fox Chapel Area he left with a certificate in literature writing and films study instead. “I wasn’t emotionally invested in it, and I’m the kind of person to follow my heart,â€? Vensel said. “I wanted to try doing for other people what my teachers and professors have done for me.â€? The change in career path led to Vensel’s recent recognition: his inclusion in the online publication The Incline’s “Who’s Next: Education,â€? an award highlighting 18 of the Pittsburgh area’s most promising educators under the age of 40. “I was honored and humbled at the same time,â€? Vensel, 36, said. “You don’t get into teaching for awards and it’s not something that happens all the time, so it was definitely a surprise.â€? In 2006, Vensel was doing his internship in the Fox Chapel Area School District and a year later he was hired full-time. In 2010, Vensel and other eighth-grade teachers coordinated the first multimedia Holocaust education assembly, an event that he and other teachers have been providing to the eighth grade for seven years. The group collectively felt that the topic deserved more than the textbook could provide, he said, so they put together an event that would capture students’ attention. The activities cater to the students’ individual interests, providing learning experiences surrounding music of the era, lectures and role-playing, and survivors are brought in to tell their stories. “Essentially they could pick within the course of the day how they want to investigate the topic and time period,â€? Vensel said. “If they are gifted in the arts or like documentaries and films, they could have a little ownership on how they learn.â€? For Dorseyville Vice Principal Tim Mahoney, its instances like this that makes Vensel a great teacher. “He finds new and innovative ways to connect with his students and engage them in the learning process every day,â€? Mahoney said. Vensel also has a reputation outside of the classroom as both a football and track coach. “Going over grammar and then seeing me organize a defense the same day, they get to see that teachers are people too,â€? Vensel said. “I also get to see kids in a different way. “With teaching, we sometimes don’t realize the impact we have on people every day,â€? Vensel said. “Someone must have felt that something I said along the way was meaningful.â€? Christine Manganas is a freelance writer. Email Newsletters TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox.