As the journalism and yearbook teacher, Mrs. Keating has transformed her classroom into a newsroom buzzing with ambitious writers that show creativity and dedication in order to capture the spirit of Bishop Gorman.
Every story and page that her students create tell more than just the events at Bishop Gorman, but capture the spirit and passion of the people at Gorman and how they impact the community.
Even though she is a teacher now, Mrs. Keating did not always want to be a teacher.
She said, “I worked for an advertising firm after college doing copywriting. I did not like the fast paced world of advertising, but I wanted writing to be a part of my career. I was an English major in college, so I loved literature too. That is what led me to get an MA in Secondary Education and begin teaching.”
Mrs. Keating attended Bishop Gorman and graduated in 1991, and has been teaching here for fourteen years now. She has taught a variety of classes, including English, graphic design, and digital photo, but she says that she “loved teaching freshmen English because teaching the Odyssey and Romeo and Juliet is truly my favorite literature to teach.”
One of her students who is now a senior, Lily Reech ‘26, says, “I loved having Mrs. Keating for English my freshmen year. You could tell that she really enjoyed what she did and her class was so fun because we were able to dive deeper into the books with things like groups and videos. I loved her so much as a teacher I actually chose to take Intro to journalism this year to learn more about writing with an awesome teacher.”
It can all add up to a lot being so busy with all her intro classes as well as advanced classes, and she says that she balances her involvement with “lots of caffeine.”
Her students all appreciate the compassionate and honest approach that she brings into the classroom, and she has always been known as a friendly face around the school.
The Entertainment and Current Events Editor of The Lance, Geneva Miller ‘26, who has been in journalism for four years, says, “Ms. Keating is really supportive, genuine, and uplifting. She understands if you are going through a tough time and need an extension or if you can’t find the right words to voice your article. Whenever I’m in this class, it’s like a fresh breath when I know my teacher has my back.”
Editor in Chief of the Yearbook, Luana Hoapili ‘26, says, “She is a really amazing and helpful teacher. The decisions that I have made for this upcoming yearbook have been extremely supported by her. Her positivity in class helps make work more productive and fun.”
For all of her student writers, sometimes it can be hard to keep students motivated and drive them to meet deadlines during the weeks. Mrs. Keating has tried to create a system that keeps students determined to write and keep working for their community, while sharing her passion of writing with them.
She says, “I try every class to be enthusiastic about what the students are creating and writing about and hope that that enthusiasm rubs off on them. I want them to be excited about the Gorman community and share that in our school newspaper and yearbook.”
