Unless you have her class, you probably don’t know Hancock’s English Language Learner Coordinator, Mrs. Kari Brand.

Brand, 39, has been teaching ELL students for 11 years, but she started teaching ELL at Hancock Middle School in 2017. She has taught 115 ELL students so far. She graduated from Oakville Senior High in the year 2000. Mrs. Brand is married to Eric Brand and they have three children. 

During her marriage journey, she earned her bachelor’s degree from UMSL. She taught for many years and is enjoying her teaching career. She picked this topic (ELL) because she wants to help immigrant and refugee families with their mental health needs when they come to America. She also sees herself leaving teaching in the next five years but will continue helping refugee families.

“Work hard now and it will pay off later,” Brand said.

She likes teaching at HPMS and HHS and is enjoying her time in school by teaching ELL students and helping other students with their homework or tests. She spends half of her day here teaching English to students who know no English and follows them from the beginning until they know how to speak English. 

In her daily life with her family and on her weekends she enjoys her weekends at the hockey rink, baseball field, and on the soccer team watching her three kids play sports. Brand tries to laugh every day. In her summers she travels a lot. She also has traveled to Canada, Mexico, and Saint Lucia Island. Her biggest goal in life is to be happy with her family and to enjoy simple things.

When she goes out with her family she finds it is hard for her and her family because they are a family of five, she said that when she goes to a restaurant she can’t find a table for five people or when she travels her and her husband should take care of them but there are not five seats for everyone.

“I have two kids or four but never three because America is not built for a family of five,” Brand said.

She also mentioned her personality as being sarcastic, a hard worker, and having a big heart. She loves to learn more about life and people and what they are, and being friends with good people with who she can really be friends with.

“Align yourself with people who represent your future, not your past,” Brand said.