New math teacher Catherine Harvey not only loves teaching, but also finds joy in encouraging and cheering on her students.

Harvey’s love for teaching started from a young age. As the oldest child of seven, she always knew she wanted to help her siblings and guide them in the right direction. Harvey’s mother was a teacher, so Harvey learned her skills from watching her.

“I kind of always knew it was in my blood,” Harvey said.

 However, Harvey did not know until college she wanted to be a high school math teacher. 

“I decided in college I wanted to be a high school teacher because my personal opinion is that personalities show more in high school,” Harvey said.

Before teaching at Algonquin, Harvey taught at Killingly High School in Connecticut. During the short time she has been at Algonquin, she has enjoyed working with both the staff and the students. 

“Everything has been nice,” Harvey said. “The staff has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. I know I can grow in a lot of ways as a teacher [here].” 

Harvey works hard to make Geometry a positive class by helping grow her students’ mindsets. Even though every class of hers is different, she wants to set goals for not only herself but her students as well.

“My objective in math class is to make it a positive class for growing mindsets,” Harvey said.

Although her students are her number-one priority, she is set on earning another degree in Education. 

Other than teaching, Harvey loves cheerleading, which she has done since she was 3 years old. Her passion led her to be captain of the Assumption College cheer team during her junior and senior years. Harvey’s passion for cheerleading helped her become a leader.

“As soon as I could walk, my mom put me in a uniform,” Harvey said. 

Harvey has a strong passion for Interior Design and hopes to start a side company during the summer. But for now, she is mainly focused on educating her students and making this school year great.