This school-year, we welcome Ms. Kaitlin Hasenbeck-Meyer as one of the newest members of Fenwick’s prestigious faculty. Helping to fill the shoes of Ms. White, Hasenbeck-Meyer teaches theology to freshmen and sophomores.

Her love for sharing the academic aspect of theology with students, as well as for helping to ensure the faith is passed on correctly is central to her teaching style. Hasenbeck-Meyer emphasizes how important it is “that we are clear about what we believe as Catholics.” She cites the Bible as being her favorite curriculum to teach— especially sharing her favorite stories and insights related to the text. She aims to demonstrate the value of the Bible; not only as a study tool, but also as a book that can be read for enjoyment.

Prior to her employment, Hasenbeck-Meyer attended both the University of Georgia and St. Louis University, earning her Bachelor’s degree in English and Theology, and Master’s in Theology. After her studies, she acted as Director of Religious Education at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, where she continues to work part-time. Her favorite directorial role was teaching seventh and eighth graders, so when she saw an opening for a theology teacher, she knew it was the perfect opportunity.

In addition to her duties as a teacher, Hasenbeck-Meyer is the new Poms assistant coach. She danced for many years, including semi-professionally throughout college, from where she went on to teach dance for over ten years. “It’s something I’ve always been passionate about, and I still do it for stress relief,” she reveals. As assistant coach, Ms. Hasenbeck-Meyer’s goals for the Poms team include guiding its members back to state, helping them to continue to improve their technique, and maintaining the high level of performance they have already been achieving. Come springtime, Hasenbeck-Meyer will help oversee the dance showcase. “It was really great that they had this opportunity to allow me to incorporate my love of dance while I’m here at Fenwick,” she adds.

For her first year, Hasenbeck-Meyer most looks forward to “getting to know [her] students, being able to make a positive impact, and watching them grow in their faith.” In these first few weeks, she has already grown to appreciate the strong sense of community cultivated at Fenwick, as well as the opportunity to teach high schoolers for the first time.

One of her goals for the year is to lay a strong educational foundation for her students, so they can be successful throughout the course of their high school career, as well as in the world beyond the moat. In addition, Hasenbeck-Meyer aims to push herself to be a better teacher, saying, “I hope to learn just as much from my students as they learn from me.”

Indeed, with her passion for teaching, dance experience, and goals for the upcoming year, Ms. Hasenbeck-Meyer will prove to be a valuable addition to the faculty.