Ms. Johnston: A Hackett Favorite

By: Marissa Toweson

At Hackett Catholic Prep, many teachers make learning fun, useful, and challenging. Every student has a favorite teacher, someone who explains concepts in the best way for the student, takes the extra time to help when something does not make sense, or just simply makes class more enjoyable. For many students, that teacher is Ms. Johnston.

Ms. Johnston has been teaching at Hackett for 32 years, beginning her career here in 1994. Hackett has been the only school she has ever called home. Over the years, she has taught countless students, including familiar names like Mr. Adrian and Mrs. Ulbirch, as well as older siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles of many current students. When former students are asked about their time in her classroom, their faces light up with fond memories of exciting labs, test prep, and the extra help she offered in-between classes. Ms. Johnston says one of her favorite parts of teaching is hearing from former students and learning what they have done with their lives, seeing how they went from scared high schoolers to successful grown adults.

For those who have not had the pleasure of being in any of her classes, Ms. Johnston teaches Chemistry, Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry, Environmental Science, Human Growth and Development, and Physics. Out of all of these classes, Physics is her favorite because of the “fun and easy labs.” Her classes, except maybe AP Chemistry, and if you know, you know,

are always filled with energy and laughter. She takes time to ensure every student truly understands the material. While being very professional and organized, she also knows when to let the class go off topic for a few minutes to share a laugh. Those moments of humor and connection are what students remember the most. She is not only a science teacher, but a teacher who cares about her students. She takes the time to get to know each student as a person, not just a number in the class.

The small class sizes at Hackett are a big reason Ms. Johnston stayed for her entire career. Smaller classes allow teachers and students to build genuine connections that many public schools lack. She has taught classes packed with every seat filled and others with as few as four students. Even in her largest classes, never more than twenty students, she has taken the time to learn every student’s name, what sports they play, what their family is like, and their goals for their future. That personal connection is part of what makes her teaching so impactful.

Ms. Johnston discovered her passion for teaching in college. She had always loved science: the curiosity, the discovery, and the excitement of learning how science works. She realized she wanted to spend her life surrounded by people who shared that curiosity. Becoming a teacher meant she could share her love of science, while helping others learn new things. Ms. Johnston has said that teaching gave her a long, fulfilling, and inspiring career.

In addition to teaching, Ms. Johnston is also a teacher leader for the Student Leadership Team, one of her favorite parts of Hackett. Some of her best memories at Hackett come from planning pep assemblies, homecoming weeks, and winter formal weeks. She always enjoys watching students show their school spirit through dressing up, decorating, and keeping up with classic Hackett traditions. 

Ms. Johnston was born and raised in Portage, Michigan, where she attended Portage Central High School, even sharing classes with some parents of her students. Outside of school, she enjoys reading anything from a scientific to a mystery novel, watching good movies, and participating in recreational gymnastics, when she has free time from grading tests. Though she does not have social media, Ms. Johnston somehow stays up to date on the latest trends, often joking with her students about the “brain rot” she claims to dislike, but secretly enjoys joking about. Ms. Johnston is also married, has two Labrador retrievers, and several hens, all of whom she dearly loves.

Throughout her career, Ms. Johnston has been a constant presence in the Hackett community. She was here when it was still called Hackett Catholic Central, witnessing the school grow and change. She has seen principals come and go, generations of students graduate, and countless families pass through her classroom. She has chaperoned many homecomings, winter formals, proms, incoming freshman dances, and field trips, each one filled with its own special memories. She has also taught students hundreds of experiments in chemistry and physics, enjoying each moment in the lab. 

After more than three decades of teaching, Ms. Johnston will be retiring next year. This is a change that will be deeply felt by everyone at Hackett. Her dedication and humor have made her one of the school’s most beloved teachers. She says that what she will miss most after retirement is “the strong community feeling I get from Hackett.” That sense of community is exactly what she has helped build through her years teaching at Hackett.

Ms. Johnston represents everything that makes Hackett special. She is the kind of teacher students never forget: the one who believes in them, pushes them to succeed, and makes learning something to look forward to. Ms. Johnston is the kind of teacher every high school student hopes to have when they reach high school. Her impact extends far beyond the classroom walls. When Ms. Johnston finally retires, Hackett will lose an incredible teacher, one that will be nearly impossible to replace. Ms. Johnston

has been at Hackett for what seems to be forever, but unfortunately, even forever has to end. Ms. Johnston will always be a huge part of the Hackett community. Ms. Johnston is a teacher that turned science into something more than just a subject, even if it is a class you dread. Saying goodbye to Ms. Johnston will certainly be an end to an era.