Olivia Núñez Hackman
Spanish Instructor
What led you to become an educator?
The short answer is graduate school. I enjoyed teaching much more than the stuffy academic environment in which everyone’s research felt so niche it would never matter to anyone beyond the confines of Academia. Teaching made sense to me and gave me a space to positively impact the world around me in my own way. It felt right to become the teacher I wish I’d had. I also realized I was never going to be a professional ballerina with my feet, so I suppose this was the next best thing.
What do you love about working at MANH?
Hands down my favorite part is the relationships I’ve forged with my students. I came to MANH after having taught Spanish for 10 years at the college level where I rarely had a student for more than a semester. The continuity of learning has been an unexpected gift and one that has certainly made me both a better teacher and human. I am now in my fourth year teaching here and while that is a relatively short period of time, I marvel that my original 1st graders are now 4th graders, just as my original 9th graders are now seniors. I love my students and in a world that often feels quite grim, these amazing people give me so much hope for the future.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at school?
I enjoy the usual activities: reading, listening to music, puzzles, watching movies/TV shows on the couch with Steve, Phyllis, and the cats–all things I can do from home because I am, and have always been, a homebody. I volunteer for a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) organization fostering cats and getting them ready for adoption. Occasionally I sit down to play the piano poorly. One of these days I might make it back to an adult ballet class and see if I can do a grand plié without my knees giving out!