LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Nichol Hare was nominated by her spouse, Richy Ramirez.

Mrs. Hare is a leader in her field. For the last four consecutive years, she has received the Physical Education Teacher Leadership Awards for her work with facilitating professional learning communities within Manhattan. She regularly presents at city-wide professional development sessions. She has also presented at the New York Association of Independent Schools Conference on differentiation.  Her commitment to her field is also demonstrated in her smaller school community, where she has trained three school staffs in move-to-improve and received five wellness grants for physical education.

Mrs. Hare believes in what she teaches. She has set up a wellness program for her staff, students, and parents. She seeks out collaboration and has worked with teachers, parents, and kitchen staff in her school to deliver integrated health materials to her students. Mrs. Hare regularly seeks out free programs and opportunities for her students.  She has collaborated with New York Road Runners for nine years, receiving incentives for her students along with running races on weekends with her students.

In her 17 years of teaching, Mrs. Hare has always been a part of her community.  She lives her life in a way that emulates what she teaches her students. She attends students' events outside of school, from soccer games, to ice skating performances, to ballet recitals. Mrs. Hare is always a cheerleader for her students. When students see her on the street, they always smile and give her a hug. 

Mrs. Hare reflects on her practice and seeks out feedback in order to grow in her craft.  She also regularly seeks out professional growth and has continued to take classes for the last 11 years, earning her students with disabilities, general education, and math extension certificates, along with working on her Ed.D. in health education. She is a team player and has fulfilled an ICT special education teacher position and an engineering position, along with teaching physical education and health during a school year.

"Nichol has much to offer her community," said Ramirez.