I have been teaching in the Wellsboro Area School District for 21 years, yet I have been involved with the district for over 40.
I
graduated from the Wellsboro High School in 1989. I attended
Susquehanna University where I started for three years for the Crusader
basketball team as a 3 guard. We were MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference)
champs for all four years, and even made it to the NCAA tournament my
last three years, where our best showing was in the sweet sixteen when I
was a sophomore.
I was also a member of the Crusader track team, throwing the shot put,
javelin and discus, attending the MAC championships all four years, and
placing in the top three in each event each year. During my senior year ,
I won two first place finishes (shot put and javelin) and a third in
the discus. I qualified for Nationals in the javelin, with a throw of
over 136 feet. I was placed 11 out of 11 at Berea, Ohio and threw a
distance of 145'10 during the preliminary throws. Upon returning the
next day for finals, I threw another 145 foot throw, enabling me to
become the only thrower from Susquehanna to ever reach that mark (I
still hold the record). This also earned me the coveted All-American
title for my school as I placed 4th in the Nation. I am now enshrined in
the Hall of Fame at Susquehanna, being the youngest person (male or
female) to earn that honor (2002). I was also inducted into the Tioga
County Hall of Fame (2006) for track. My athletic career now feels
complete!
I graduated in 1993 with a BA in Communications/emphasis in
Journalism with a minor in English. I then attended Mansfield University
where I received my Masters in Education, doubling up with two
certifications, one in Reading K-12, and the other in English 7-12.
I currently teach 12th grade English literature and composition, 12th
grade general English, 12th grade Applied Communications, and 9 Honors English at the high
school.
Teaching is in my family. My mother taught school for 39 years, 34 of
them in the Wellsboro Area School District. She is familiar to many of
my students' parents. Her name was Mrs. Nicodemus (4th grade), but then
changed in 1982 to Mrs. Brechbill (6th grade science and reading). My
aunt and her son are also teachers, but in New York Sate. I also have
another cousin (Lisa Thomas from Wellsboro) who teaches in Chambersburg.
I resigned as the head volleyball coach in 2004 at the high school
where I put in 7 years on the court. I currently coach track, however,
and this year will be year number 22. After completing my
volleyball coaching career, I joined the WAYS (Wellsboro Area Youth
Soccer) crew as a coach.
I
have two WONDERFUL sons, John "Casey" Hoover (age 18) and Evan Thomas
Hoover (age 15). We now have two dogs, all Shelties. Jaxson Justus Hoover
(age 8), and Chloe
Elizabeth Hoover (6).
I am an avid sports fan and love the outdoors. My favorite sport to
watch and play is football (even though I wasn't allowed to play
organized football). My favorite NFL team is the Pittsburgh Steelers (I now have Franco Harris - #32, Deshea Townsend, and Santonio Holmes' autograph). My favorite college football team is Penn State.
I
love outdoor activities. I like to ride my bike through the Canyon, or
hike the trails. I also like water sports and snow sports. Another of my
favorite sports is snow skiing. I have been doing this since I was 2.
Casey started at 18 months and Evan was just 14 months when he started
on skis. I used to work at Denton Hill as a ski instructor (for 10
yrs.), but now I am a volunteer Ski Patroller and Outdoor Emergency Care
Instructor at Denton (24 years). I have tried snow boarding, but I
think I will stick to two boards. Casey skied the bottom two thirds of
Avalanche at age 4 and was able to tackle the entire hill at age 6. He
has also mastered snowboarding. Evan has switched to snowboarding.
Of all of my outdoor favorites, however, I love going to the Fingerlake
Region the most. My grandfather built a cottage on Waneta Lake in the
40's and the cottage is still in my family today. It has been a place of
enjoyment for many years and it seems that will continue as both
Casey and Evan love to waterski, knee board, and tube. They both wish
summer would never end!!!