Sandra Mahana is a native Lampasan. She also has lived here most of her life. She has, however, ventured beyond county and state lines. After marrying her high school sweetheart, who was a military policeman in the Army, they soon were relocated to Germany, where her daughter, Amy, was born.

Sandra and her new family moved back to the States in 1977, and were assigned to El Paso. Soon thereafter, her son, Michael, was born here in Lampasas at Rollins Brook Community Hospital. His grandmother was the delivery room nurse.

Ms. Mahana earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Her degree was in behavioral science, a good background to have when teaching middle school students, with an emphasis in social work. While working her internship at the Juvenile Probation Department in Killeen, the Luby’s killing spree occurred. No one she worked with was at Luby’s on that day, however they knew some of those who would die in the shootings. With that twist of fate, Ms. Mahana decided she would prefer to work as a teacher, so she returned to UMHB to earn her certification. She still works with the age group she loves and realizes her purpose, which correlates directly to the quote provided by Heath Hopson, who nominated her for this Honorary Coach position.

Ms. Mahana has taught seventh-grade science for the past 15 years. This year she also teaches eighth-grade enriched classes. She describes her favorite part of teaching as when she sees the “light come on” for students and they remark, “Oh, now I get it!” That has to be the reward for all teachers.

When not teaching, Ms. Mahana enjoys yard work, reading and time with her grandsons. She lives with her pet cat and dog. The first-time cat owner realizes she is just a guest in his home, and he completely entertains her.

She also likes to hike in the mountains. She has had adventures in the Rocky Mountains in both New Mexico and Colorado, and is particularly fond of Rocky Mountain National Park. She has been to the Grand Canyon in recent years but did not hike down into the canyon. She is saving that for retirement.

Another of her hobbies is visiting old, small country cemeteries. The tombstones abound with history and details about people’s lives and times. Ms. Mahana plans to visit all 50 states in this fine country of ours. Included in her travel plans, as well, is a trip back to Germany with her daughter to show her her birthplace.

One of Ms. Mahana’s most humorous moments while teaching involved somersaulting in the gym in front of all the seventh-graders while attempting to get the girls to “out wave” the boys. She is an amateur gymnast, or so we hear. Her other Kodak moment has been documented in a yearbook (you will have to search for the year) when she was lauded as the teacher who spent the most time in an employee restroom. (She was locked in, according to her story. The lock broke from the inside, and it took maintenance staff 45 minutes to remove the lock and free her. Fellow teachers were waiting outside the door to provide a standing ovation.)

Sandra Mahana has the passion to teach and see children learn. She has the compassion it takes to want to teach under sometimes difficult conditions, combined with the true reward of enriching children. And she has a fabulous sense of humor in the process.

Information provided by the LHS Slam Dunk Club.