This year, the Learning Center at Cathedral welcomes a new face – Mrs. Kimberly McHugh. A first-year teacher, Mrs. McHugh doesn’t just juggle a new job with new students at work, but she also juggles a new three-month-old baby girl at home named Stella.

Mrs. McHugh is a San Diego native, and was born and raised in Encinitas. She attended San Dieguito Academy before moving onto Loyola Marymount University for her college career. Mrs. McHugh received her Bachelor of Arts at Loyola Marymount University where she majored in television production with an art minor. Currently, Mrs. McHugh is finishing her Master of Arts in Teaching at Point Loma Nazarene University where she received her teaching credential.

One might assume that with degrees such as television production and art, Mrs. McHugh would never find a job at the Learning Center; however, she experienced a career change when she found out she enjoyed tutoring students during her college years. This led Mrs. McHugh to become a teacher. That’s when she found Cathedral, and “teaching and Cathedral found me,” she said.

As for the Learning Center, Mrs. McHugh is excited to establish a rhythm in her classroom through her “open-minded instruction.” “I love the fact that I can incorporate all four subjects into my classroom,” said Mrs. McHugh.

Along with her tutoring, Mrs. McHugh has enjoyed the transition into Cathedral’s iPad-integrated curriculum. The iPads provide interactive resources for her Learning Center students, which involves both the students and teachers. Mrs. McHugh feels like she is gaining more knowledge about the iPads through this learning curve, saying, “I even started my own iTunes U course!”

Outside of the classroom, Mrs. McHugh finds happiness in her family. With baby Stella at home, Mrs. McHugh keeps herself occupied outside of school. She enjoys taking Stella to the zoo as well as cooking for her family. Additionally, Mrs. McHugh plans on starting up her own garden.

The same devotion Mrs. McHugh has for her family carries over to her teaching. Mrs. McHugh plans to further assist her students in the Learning Center to make them the best they can possibly be. “I want to provide students with the resources they need now, which will carry over to a successful college career,” she said.