Meet Mrs. Hahner

For those of you who did not know, and can not tell from the way I say “saw” and “idea”, I was born and raised in New Jersey. I attended, along with my three sisters, Saint Paul of the Cross Elementary School, where I had Sister Francis Mark for Math in grades 4, 5 and 6. Then I went on to Saint Michael’s High School in Union City, New Jersey. There I had Miss Squire for Algebra, Sister Lawrence for Geometry, and Sister Gertrude for Religion and Trigonometry. These four teachers are the reasons I developed a love for math and have been teaching in catholic schools for 30 years.

After high school, I went to what is now New Jersey City University where I worked in the math department for four years and received a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics with a minor in Secondary Education.

My first teaching job was at Saint Anne’s School in Jersey City where I started teaching the 4th and 5th grades. I then moved up to 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
 
During my tenure there, I moved from Jersey City to a small town in Central New Jersey, Monroe Township. The first year I lived there I still traveled to Jersey City to teach but the following year I left Saint Anne’s and started teaching math in grades 6,7 and 8 at Saint Thomas the Apostle School in Old Bridge, New Jersey.

I was at St. Thomas for 6 years when we were faced with the dilemma of my husband being without a job or moving to Maryland. It was a very difficult decision because we would be leaving all of our family and friends and I would be leaving a job I loved. Needless to say, the decision was made as we packed up and moved to Parkton, Maryland. The first summer we were in Maryland, I received a call asking if I would like a job teaching math to grades 6, 7 and 8. I was thrilled and I began my daily trek to Saint Thomas More School in Baltimore. It took me 3 months to get up the courage to drive the Beltway, but I did and loved my time at STM. I was there for several years when the decision was made to consolidate STM with another school and Cardinal Sheehan School was formed. At that time we received another blessing and we found out that we were to have a baby. The summer of 1988 was one of the hottest on record but I didn’t notice because Patrick was born that year. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay home with Patrick and enjoy those years in Parkton. Then in 1992, we were again faced with the decision of moving. We said “Good-bye” to Maryland and “Hello” to Ohio, not knowing how soon we would return. Ohio was wonderful and we loved everything about it except the weather, so when my husband was offered the chance to return to Maryland, we jumped at it. God was watching over us as I phoned schools to see if I could enroll Patrick for 1st Grade. As we came to observe OLPH for the first time, I never realized that I would be lucky enough to get a job here doing what I love – teaching Math. I was first hired by Miss Coakley to teach math in grades 7 and 8. The following year, she asked if I would like to also teach the 6th grade. Eventually the 5th and then the 4th grades were added to my schedule.

It is now 15 years later and I still get to do what I love - Teach Math!