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Faculty Spotlight: Mrs. Humphrey
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May 19, 2022Mrs. Denise Humphrey began her journey towards becoming an English teacher at HN by earning her bachelor’s degree in English and education at John Carroll University. She then taught junior high for half a year at St. Vincent De Paul and high school for one year at North Olmsted.
For the last 16 years, Holy Name has been lucky to have Mrs. Humphrey as an English teacher and, following her colleague and mentor Ms. Vivian Habrat’s retirement, chair of the English department. This year, Ms. Humphrey is teaching American Literature to sophomores and Literature and Film to seniors. She also coached cheerleading for seven years of her tenure at HN.
Always a voracious reader, Ms. Humphrey initially wanted to be a librarian. When she was a freshman in high school, though, she had an amazing English teacher. She recalls, “That’s when I decided I wanted to teach high school English language arts.”
The teaching profession, in fact, is a perfect fit for Ms. Humphrey’s fascination with all forms of communication and storytelling. She says, “I love talking about literature and watching it come to life through different forms of media. I can teach the same novel every year and learn something new every time. Books inspire, motivate, encourage, teach, connect, and provide an escape (to name a few).”
Being asked to identify a favorite lesson, she says, is like asking for a favorite song or movie—“There are just too many!” She does, however, acknowledge a particular fondness for teaching the transcendentalists as well as the 1920s era and The Great Gatsby.
Mrs. Humphrey describes her colleagues as among the greatest blessings she has received from working at HN. Here, she met some of her best friends, including her husband and their son’s godfather.
Her favorite activities outside of school include going out to eat with her husband at the many restaurants Cleveland has to offer. “Life is too short to try the same place twice!” she remarks.
Besides seeking new experiences, Mrs. Humphrey encourages her students, most of all, to be kind because “you just don’t know what goes on outside these walls.”
