ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Hannah Stroup Chung '17

Just nine years after graduating from Burroughs, Hannah Stroup Chung ’17 is already helping shape the future of education in St. Louis.

Hannah recently completed her master’s degree in teacher leadership from Washington University in St. Louis and was promoted to department head of social studies and English language arts at North Side Community School, where she will begin her fourth year teaching this fall. In her new role, she mentors fellow teachers and oversees curriculum and data. Last spring, she received Teach St. Louis’ Instructional Excellence Award, recognizing her success in driving student growth and learning.

A graduate of Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in middle/secondary education, Hannah has spent the past five years teaching social studies in Title I schools. She recently earned Missouri’s lifetime professional teaching certificate — meaning, she jokes, “I won’t have to renew my license until I’m 124 years old!”

Outside the classroom, Hannah and her husband, Alan Chung ’15, have spent the past five years mentoring the John Burroughs robotics team they once participated in as students. Last year, the team qualified for the World Championship.

“At Burroughs, the robotics program taught me teamwork and leadership, and my teachers and classes taught me the critical-thinking and public-speaking skills that have contributed to my achievements as the youngest member of my school’s leadership team,” Hannah says. “I have always been a lifelong learner, and Burroughs developed and reinforced my pursuit and love of knowledge.”

One of Hannah’s most meaningful Burroughs experiences was May Project, during which she volunteered with ReFresh, a clothing program of the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition that supports children in foster care. What began as a one-month service commitment has become a lasting passion. Nearly a decade later, she continues to volunteer with the organization and has dedicated hundreds of hours to serving foster families, including throughout and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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