A teacher at Marist, is known not only for her daily dedication in the classroom but also for being one of the most committed and compassionate individuals around.
Ms. Hoffmann has been at Marist as an art teacher for two decades and counting.
“I student-taught here and loved it. Someone was leaving when I ended my student teaching and it just ended up being a natural fit,” said Hoffmann.
She admits that she enjoys Marist just as much as she did when she was first hired.
“Twenty years later, I still love it,” she said.
Many students enjoy Hoffmann’s art classes.
“Ms Hoffmann’s class is my favorite because she always keeps class engaging and asks about my personal life,” said senior Johnny Shanahan.
Hoffmann said that the classes she took in high school set her up not only for what she would major in during college but her eventual career as an art teacher at Marist.
“I enjoyed my high school art classes and I was interested in technology,” she said. “I thought graphic design would be the perfect mix of the two fields.”
During college, she worked hard and finished with a bachelor’s degree.
“I graduated college with my BFA in visual communication,” she said. “I worked in the design field after college.”
She enjoyed her job at this firm but due to unforeseen circumstances, things didn’t work out.
“My design firm ended up going under after 9/11,” she said.
This setback was difficult, but her mother encouraged her to stay positive and keep exploring new opportunities. Coincidentally, her mother was a teacher. She grew up idolizing her mother.
“I was raised by a teacher and loved going to school with her when I was growing up,” she said. “I remember playing school as a young child. My mom convinced me to go back to school to get my teacher’s degree to have a more stable career.”
She followed in her mother’s footsteps, and even had the opportunity to work at the same school her mom worked at.
“I ended up teaching at her school as I was going to night school for education,” she said.
Today, she is a long tenured teacher at Marist and now has a family which she is very proud of. She has two girls, ages 13 and 11.
“Being a mom is one of my favorite things,” she said. “I love being with my two daughters.”
One of the many things she likes to do outside of school is to support both of her daughters, who are in middle school, compete and perform in the various extracurricular activities they are involved in.
“My girls are both involved in sports,” she said. “So I enjoy going to their swim meets, cheer competitions, and football games. I enjoy home decorating, going shopping and finding good deals. I love to be outdoors, go on walks, take photos and just hang out with family and friends.”
