Hannah Chambers moves into the next show as she waves the Bearkittens and the rest of her class goodbye.

Hannah Chambers stepped on stage, lights shining down on her as Bearkitten after Bearkitten filed alongside her.  She’s prepared these kittens for the big stage for two years, and they were now ready to debut for their first performance at the circus.  As the zookeeper, it was her job to teach them everything they needed to know, but she has also learned much from the time she has spent with them.  Her whole career has been one big balancing act, between managing childhood education, her time traveling around the country playing softball, and her difficult academic schedule. 

Chamber’s passion for child development is unparalleled. 

 “As long as I can remember, in elementary school, I was a self-manager, at least that’s what they called it, and I was able to volunteer with the special needs [students] at our school… I knew I wanted to do something with children and it just kind of clicked” Chambers said. 

She knew as early as 5th grade that she wanted to work with children, and is now pursuing a career in childhood education.  

“I came to the conclusion that I really wanted to work with communication disorders so I’m going to be able to work with special education [students] and children as well.” Chambers stated.

 Chambers has a drive towards helping children with special needs, which came from her time working with those in the Special Olympics, an event where those with disabilities compete in different sports.  Chambers has committed to the California Baptist University educationally, and hopefully athletically, as she pursues her path in growing the next generation.

The kitten can sometimes be a chaotic bunch, but Chambers and other educators harness that energy and use it when they teach. “Learning is messy… that’s why we call a mess a learning station, most people see a mess, we see developing stages.” Chambers said.

Understanding the idiosyncrasy of a child, how they learn best, and adapting are all incredibly important when trying to educate.  As Chambers puts it, “not all children learn the same, so you really want to make sure that you are appealing to each child, making sure that you know how they learn.”

On top of her love for child development, Chambers also plays softball year-round for both the varsity high school team and a traveling team over the summer that goes across the country.  Her main position is pitcher, and she has a batting average of .490!  

Chambers has shown diversity in her love for child care and development and her skill in softball, but she has also proven herself to be an incredibly strong student academically.  She has taken and passed both the AP Bio and AP Lang exam with a 3 and 4 respectively. She is ASB Secretary, in leadership, and is heavily involved in SkillsUSA, medaling in silver the last two years doing a showcase competition for child development. And to top it off, she holds a weighted 4.0 GPA.  She also interviewed for ALA Girls State, which is a competitive program that hopes to recognize female students in each state for their accomplishments at the end of their junior year.  Chambers was the sole student nominated out of 5 that were interviewed but was unfortunately unable to go as COVID cut her trip short.  What doesn’t go unnoticed about Hannah is her bright personality that influences everyone who crosses her path.  She is incredibly hard-working and always moving towards her next goal, even if it’s only one step at a time. “Hannah Chambers has been a dynamic, committed, and passionate leader in our Education Pathway program. She has an infectious and exuberant personality that leaves a mark on the people around her… I’m lucky to have had her for multiple years in the classroom!” Brenda Matthysse said, the Bearkitten Coordinator and Childhood Education teacher.  

“She’s really driven. I don’t know if she’s ever not done her homework, she’s one of those people that just always gets it done.” Gaylene Ewing said, Hannah Chamber’s Global Environmental Options teacher.  

Chambers is the kind of student and person that can do anything she sets her mind to.  Ever since she was ten years old, she knew that she was destined to work with children, and is now making that goal a reality as she waves the circus goodbye and moves onto the next big show.

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