Once a Student, Now a Teacher at Hastings Senior High

Laura Enos came back to Hastings Senior High School this school year to pursue her favored career path as an English teacher. 

Enos was born and raised in Hastings, Nebraska. She attended Hastings High, graduating in the Class of 1998.

“It’s really nice to come back to the school that I found I got a good education at,” Enos said. “I have very good memories from being here, and it’s nice to give back to the community that basically raised me the first eighteen years of my life.” 

Originally, Enos went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as a broadcast major, but halfway through her freshman year, she switched to English & Speech Secondary Education. She always enjoyed those classes more and did not think broadcasting was the right fit for her.

“I didn’t think I could compete with other journalists on TV,” Enos said.

In the past, Enos saw both her mother and grandmother enjoy their teaching careers, which also inspired her to make the switch.

“They always loved their jobs, and I thought, ‘Well, they seem to be having fun. Maybe I should look into this,’” Enos said. 

Enos was in a cohort of 25 students during her undergraduate program at UNL. She formed several friends, some of whom she invited to her wedding, up until her graduation in 2003.

“We were such a diverse group of individuals, yet we were so kind and good to each other,” Enos said. “We made each other laugh all the time, especially during our semester of student teaching, where we were all so sleep-deprived and exhausted.”

She became a teacher at Arlington Public Schools for four years. Ten years into her teaching career, Enos decided to pursue education administration studies at the University of Nebraska-Kearney (UNK). Encouraged by her professors Ken Nelson and Dick Meyer, she completed her Master’s of Reading in 2007 and Master’s of Principalship in 2017.

“They were very supportive in helping me see myself as an educational leader,” Enos said.

Following years of teaching and schooling, Enos learned being a teacher comes with not only responsibilities, but also opportunities to bond with her coworkers and be involved with students. Now at HHS, Enos has gone to many events, including a recent choir concert she claimed blew her away. 

“The staff here are so nice to me. They have been so welcoming and so helpful… I can’t say enough about the teachers here,” Enos said. “It’s fun to see all of my kids and their activities. I’ve really enjoyed going to watch and support them outside of the classroom.” 

Enos noticed the importance of building good relationships with her fellow teachers and staff. Through showing respect, she gained new friends throughout her time as a teacher. 

“You really wanna make sure that you form positive relationships with the people that you work with immediately,” Enos said. “My mom [gave] me good advice…  ‘The custodial staff, the paras, and the office associates, those are the people that are really running the show, [so] just make sure that you always respect them and earn their trust.”

So far this year, Enos has noted to have found herself surrounded by many welcoming staff members who are willing to help and answer the many questions that she has. She is happy and grateful to be back in a community that she can give back to. 

“I wanted to come back and be closer to my parents for a while. I feel very lucky and grateful that there was an opening and that they were willing to give me a chance,” Enos said.