Kathy Hawes has been a cherished math teacher since 1991, and will be leaving for Washington, D.C. with her husband at the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, where she will continue teaching at Georgetown day school.

Hawes is relocating to Washington, D.C. for the span of one year due to her husband’s new job opportunity and plans on returning to the Bay Area afterward. “My husband was looking for an opportunity to give back to the community and found a job working for the government in D.C.,” she said. “He’s going to take his Silicon Valley technology knowledge and will use it to improve the technology of the government, which is exciting and a one-year opportunity, and so I hope to come back after a year.”

One thing Hawes will miss during her time gone are the motivated, bright students she has met. “I’m never going to forget the great students,” she said. “Everyone comes to school so eager to learn and everyone’s so kind and they all take care of each other, and I think that’s so special.”

Hoping to try out as many Gunn events as possible before she leaves, Hawes will be chaperoning prom this year and plans on attending the senior picnic. “It’s my last year here so I have to go,” she said. “And I hope to do things with students and interact with them one last time before I leave.”

Several students from her AP Calculus BC class have received a memorable gift that will remind them of Hawes and the times they have spent in her class. “My husband is a big Warriors fan and every year, he brings back bobbleheads from games and I use them to decorate my room,” she said. “I didn’t want to bring them with me when I moved to DC, so I thought I’d give them a good home by giving them to my students.”

Hawes has one last piece of advice for all students and teachers. “Don’t compare yourself to other people, and always be your best self,” she said. “If you work hard and believe in yourself, you will have tremendous success.”