The Hazelwood West High School newspaper has decided to highlight Mrs. Jean Hammer, a current science/ elective teacher at West High. Hammer speaks on her teaching, her journey battling cancer, and her life outside of school. 

Hammer teaches multiple different medical-based classes such as Principles of Biomedical Sciences, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovations. She has been teaching for over 23 years and throughout those years she has been at many different schools. She has always had a passion for teaching and she loves to work with kids. Her favorite class to teach is Medical Interventions because she is able to teach college-level skills to her students and many aspects that aren’t taught in her other classes. 

Hammer was diagnosed with stage 3 aggressive colon cancer and it really threw her life in a spiral. The side effects of chemo were really hard on her but she had many people by her side throughout her journey. Her West family, her wife, her son, her mother, and her sister were her biggest supporters who helped to keep her going. Coming back to teaching after being out for a while was very scary for her. She was worried about her energy levels and if she would still be able to relate to her students. 

“This year has been fabulous, I feel like me, I feel like the teacher I used to be,” Hammer said. 

Outside of school, she loves to hangout at home with family and her dogs. She loves taking photos and sitting under her gazebo watching nature while listening to music. Due to the cancer she was unable to travel for a few years, but she is finally able to travel again. She is most excited to travel to Sarasota, Florida. She is excited to be on the beach and she’s ready to be physically free again.