John Hoover, associate research professor
What are you excited about in retirement?
Hoover: “I am most excited to have more flexibility in how I spend my time. This flexibility allows me to spend more quality time with my grandchildren, visit popular hiking places during less crowded times of the year and in general be able to do things on the spur of the moment, such as going to a baseball game, traveling to see family or visiting a national park.”
What are you grateful for from your time at the School of Education?
Hoover: “I am most appreciative of the support that I received for over 20 years affording me opportunities to deliver and research quality graduate-level educator preparation and teacher endorsements at the intersection of exceptionality and diversity in K–12 rural community schools throughout Colorado.”
John Hoover at the Hidden Falls Trail in Grand Teton National Park.
Kent Willmann, senior instructor
What are you excited about in retirement?
Willmann: “I am excited about all kinds of opportunities. To watch my new grandson grow up. To play poker more often and learn to win. To drive around the U.S. visiting historic sites. To venture into new ‘retirement’ opportunities working with teachers. To pay closer attention to my tomatoes. To attend spring training with my oldest son and USA soccer games with my other son. To spread the wonders of democracy as an election judge. To ride my bike around town taking more photographs of abandoned couches.”
What are you grateful for from your time at the School of Education?
Willmann: “When they asked me to take this job about 10 years ago or so, I felt like my secret crush had just asked me to the prom. Then I started working and people asked how it was going. And I said, ‘I have these really great kids, I mean students, I mean future colleagues, who are way smart and work really hard. . . . If all teachers were as good as my students are going to be, many of the problems facing education would simply disappear. I feel like I have died and gone to teacher heaven!’”
Kent Willmann on a visit to Little Rock High School.
