By Deacon Matthew Hecker, Ph.D.
St. Augustine said: “Because you have made us for Yourself, our hearts are restless till they find their rest in thee.”
As a teacher, Heather Hull had a restless heart. She found herself moving from one teaching position to another, until landing at St. Joseph School in Beatrice.
Hull grew up on a family farm near Fairbury.
“My grandparents, then my parents, and now my brother, raise cattle and farm corn and soybeans,” she said.
Her family faithfully attended St. Mary Parish in Alexandria.
Hull went to Fairbury Public School until the third grade. She attended the – since-closed – St. Michael School until the sixth grade, then Fairbury Jr/Sr High School, and graduated from there.
“After graduation,” Hull said, “I lived at home and attended Southeast Community College for two years and completed my general education credits.” She then transferred to the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
“I completed the rest of my credits except student teaching. I stopped going to college and took a job as a special education (SPED) para-educator at Meadowlark Elementary for three and a half years.
“Finally, I passed the PRAXIS test and student taught in Minden Public Schools for a semester. Then I completed my bachelor’s degree.”
Her degree was in elementary education, with a teaching endorsement in early childhood education. Hull’s first teaching job was in public schools in Lexington.
“I taught first grade for one year and kindergarten for two years,” she said. She then taught kindergarten for two more years in McCook Public Schools.
“Then I decided to move closer to home, so I went to Grand Island Public Schools and taught second grade for a year, and preschool for a year.
Then we moved to where we live now, in Jansen,” she continued. “I was a SPED para for one year with Fairbury Public Schools.”
At the time, Hull was working on, and then completed, a master’s degree in special education from UNK.
“I wanted to get back into the classroom,” Hull admitted. “But, I also wanted to get into the faith aspect of teaching.”
In 2016, there was an opening in nearby Beatrice at St. Joseph School. Hull applied and was hired by Sister Mary Faustina, then the principal.
“My first year there I taught third grade,” she said.
From there, both Hull’s teaching career and her life began to change in unexpected ways. In previous teaching experiences, Hull said, she had witnessed a lot of brokenness. But at St. Joseph, she said, “the families are welcoming, friendly and faith-driven. The entire school is a family. Parents are so active and involved. They want their kids at the highest potential possible.”
“This is what I try to do every day,” she went on. “I finally found a place where I could talk about God with my kids and not get in trouble. I could teach values, virtues, and morality in addition to reading and writing. Our school theme this year is a great example. It’s ‘Radiating Christ.’”
Hull elaborated on what she liked about teaching in a Catholic school.
“I feel very connected to our families, our students and our faith,” she said. “Because of our smaller class sizes, I get to know the students so well and can address their needs so quickly. I have great support from parents and the administration.”
She added: “It’s a scary world out there, and our school is such a safe place for kids!” she said. St. Joseph School is a safe place, Hull explained, because “it’s a place where students can be comfortable being themselves, because that’s how God made them.”
“It’s safe because it’s such a caring place where we’re trying to instill faith, academics, a strong social and emotional stability, with trust and confidence. You can be so open and share what you want to share. Jesus is always there in our school. If you’re having a bad day, you can go the chapel (located in the school) and pray.”
Given her varied career history, when asked what made her decide to remain at St. Joseph, Hull responded: “It’s the school family, the faith, character building, virtues, small class size and close-knit community that’s made me stay at St. Joseph’s. God challenges you at times, but I think it’s only to make you a stronger person in your faith.
“God puts plans into your life for a reason,” she went on. “I think this is why I’m still at St. Joseph’s.”
Indeed, it would seem Heather Hull’s restless heart found its teaching home.
Heather and her husband Jim Hull have a son, Bennett. He is 6 years old and in the first grade. They are members of St. Joseph Parish in Beatrice.
Hull will receive her award Oct. 15 at the second annual “Saints & Scholars” dinner to celebrate Catholic schools, educators and benefactors in the Diocese of Lincoln. All are welcome to attend. See www.goodshepherdscholarship.com for more details.
