While this may be business teacher Hannah Goh’s first year as a member of the staff, she is no stranger to the Mustang community. As a class of 2016 alumna and HHS FBLA Hall of Fame member, Goh said she is eager to return to the classroom and apply her real-world business expertise.
(Photo by Alicia Liste)
“I am excited to teach the things I’ve learned in the classroom and, because business is ever changing, bring in a [more current] perspective,” Goh said. “Especially being fresh out of the business world, I can show students ‘This is what it was like when I learned it, but it’s different now.’ Being able to highlight that change is exciting.”
After attending New York University’s Stern School of Business and pursuing a career in the field, Goh said she decided it was time to switch paths.
“I realized teaching was something that was always in the back of my head of what I wanted to do,” Goh said, “And now that I have the opportunity to teach here, I was really, really excited to move on out of the corporate world and into the teaching world.”
Goh’s transition from the corporate world to the classroom is common among teachers in the business department, and makes for a more engaging, up-to-date learning experience, business teacher Graeme Logie said.
“I think her [business experience] is going to help her a lot, and it’ll make things more interesting for the students,” Logie said. “Having someone coming out of the corporate world with real-world experiences to draw on will make what she teaches real, or at least relevant to what might happen in the real world.”
During the hiring process, administrators looked for a candidate with strong industry involvement and a passion for teaching, traits Goh easily fulfilled, principal Denae Nurnberg said. Her wonderful personality and energy remain the same as when she was a student, Nurnberg added.
“In the interview, she reaffirmed that she is still the same person who has a positive energy [and is] caring, smart and confident,” Nurnberg said. “Her love for business and FBLA really came through in her interview.”
Additionally, Goh’s past experiences with various business classes and being a FBLA member provide her with valuable insight into the workings of the business department, Logie said.
“She is very familiar with everything about HHS traditions, the culture of FBLA [and] the classes,” Logie said. “She has a lot of mentors here, not just in the business department, but all the teachers she had at HHS who are still here, who she can draw on for help or suggestions.”
By returning to her alma mater in a teaching role, Goh said she hopes to give back to the school that taught her how to see the world from a business perspective.
“My hope is to share the world of business with my students and make a connection with students because, growing up, teachers were always people I looked up to,” Goh said. “To be someone that students can communicate with and seen as someone who can provide advice and give mentorship would be great.”
