Mrs. Hatcher, a US History teacher is one of the new faces in the halls of Junction City High School. Originally from Michigan, she first studied pre-law at Michigan State University. Focusing on social justice, she wanted to help kids who got in trouble. After attending a social gathering, she learned that a friend of hers had a brother who had taught in Saint Croix, an island in the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. They didn’t require a teaching certificate at the time because of an extreme need for teachers..

While in Saint Croix, Hatcher taught all of the subjects in a combined class of 4th, 5th, and 6th graders. She found herself wanting to talk about her job when she got home and she would wake up without an alarm excited for her day.  

“I realized that the front lines of social justice were really in the classroom. So instead of defending people after they’ve already gotten in trouble I thought if I was in a classroom I could maybe empower people to stay out of trouble,” Hatcher said.

After teaching in Saint Croix, she taught at Kanuikapono Public Charter School in the town of Hongola, Hawaii.

After Hawaii she had an administrative role at an alternative school in Detroit, Michigan. Following that administrative position she taught at another alternative school in East Jackson, Michigan.

Mrs. Hatcher came  to Junction City with her husband. After getting married they moved here due to military reasons. “Everyone’s been super nice,” Hatcher said of Junction City.

Hatcher has done it all in education. “I’m just really looking forward to being back in a classroom and never being an administrator again,” she said.