As the school begins, students rush to their classes to start the academic day ahead of them. As they walk through the 10s hallway, one smiling face greets the students and brings them happiness with her charm. She stands outside of her classroom smiling and laughing loudly, bringing smiles to faces on an especially cold day outside. You might be wondering: who is this teacher I am talking about? That happy and smiling teacher is Mrs. Thierer! Whether it’s in the hallways or the classroom, she knows how to bring smiles and joy to her students and colleagues alike. So, what truly makes her happy here at Dowling? Dive in to see what inspires Mrs. Thierer as both a teacher and a follower of Christ!

Mrs. Thierer was born on August 22, 1962, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to her loving parents Vera and Henry Hernadez. She has an older brother named Dan and a younger brother named Paul. Growing up, she was surrounded by the Catholic faith and culture, impacting her life down the road.

Mrs. Thierer attended Immaculate Conception from kindergarten through 8th grade and later attended Regis High School, graduating in 1980. In high school, she played a lot of tennis and also worked at a pharmacy. 

After high school, Thierer attended her undergraduate studies at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, where she got a degree in history and theology. She also minored in psychology and secondary education. After graduating from Coe College in 1984, she moved to the Des Moines area and began her Masters program. Thierer studied Pastoral Theology at both Notre Dame and St. Ambrose University. Soon, she began teaching full-time. She started at Dowling and was also the Director of Faith Formation at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart Church.

Mrs. Thierer started working here at Dowling in 2000 but left in 2011 to be the director at Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart. She later taught religion at St. Anthony’s from 2016-2017. Eventually, she came back to Dowling in the Spring of 2018 and, to this day, still teaches freshman religion classes, World Religions, and Comparative Christianity. Mrs. Thierer says that working at Dowling has allowed her to grow in her profession and also her faith.  Mrs. Thierer loves the chemistry with her fellow teachers and students along with the faith-filled environment here. She has enjoyed continuing her education further and preparing the future leaders of the world. “We are always being challenged to grow in our teaching.” She wants students to push education as much as possible because it can take you on an adventure and make life a whole lot easier.

Alright, now the fun facts of Mrs. Thierer that we all have been waiting for!

• Two things she cherishes are her faith and family
• She is afraid of heights
• She enjoys reading books of all genres
• Her favorite movie is The Matrix
• Her favorite animal is a cat
• Her favorite food is Mexican food and has family recipes she enjoys
• She enjoys bike riding a lot
• She loves her two granddaughters
• She is very social and loves talking to people

“Find your people who love you for who they are.”

That is the piece of advice Mrs. Thierer told me for the readers out there. High school is hard, and trying to fit it in is difficult, especially coming into a bigger study body population. Mrs. Thierer knows that it is hard to make friends right away but believes that if you surround yourself with people who appreciate who you are, then you are halfway there.

Being a religion teacher, faith is a huge aspect of not just her teaching but life as well. In elementary school, she was surrounded by priests, nuns, and the Catholic church in general. Mrs. Thierer played guitar and organ during mass, and in high school, she was interested in world religions a lot. Growing up, Vatican II was occurring and it was revolutionary because it allowed lay people to participate in the mass. In college, her faith was steady, and was surrounded by people who were going to be ministers. She loved learning about other religions and how others practice their faith. As a result of that, she learned more about herself and felt a possible career in Catholic schools.

Faith is at the forefront of her mind, and every day she wants to share Christ with others. “How do I take what I teach and be a Christian every day.” Mrs. Thierer attends Christ the King on the southside, and it just so happens that the priests are Dowling grads and former students of hers.

Along with faith, family occupies her mind a lot and is her key motivation every day. This June, Mrs. Thierer will have been married to her husband Dirk for forty years. Mrs. Thierer and Dirk met at Coe College and got married in 1985 after he graduated from college. At first, Mrs. Thierer was cautious and held herself back, but with Dirk’s support, she was able to pursue the career dreams she had for herself. Together they have three kids: Nicolas, who is an accountant; Andrew, who is a food distributor and father; and Stephanie, who is a therapist working in a prison.  Mrs. Thierer always wanted to have a family, and her parents were a role model for her.

My personal experience with Mrs. Thierer is that she is always smiling and very passionate about teaching students every day. I love going to school and

seeing her smile to brighten up my day. Like she said, it’s not easy being a student because of the challenges in and out of school, but with her personality and the charm she brings, it makes my day a whole lot better. If you ever get the chance to take Comparative Christianity or World Religions, do it! She is a motivational teacher who wants you to succeed and cares about you. 

“Be yourself.” 

That was Mrs. Thierer’s concluding quote to me. Her reasoning behind this is that we are all made in the Image of God, and we are all good and holy. She wants people to recognize the gifts they have and not compare them to others.

If you ever see Mrs. Thierer, don’t be afraid to say hi or stop by for a chat. She is a heartwarming person who knows how to brighten someone up in the rain. Also, if you can’t find her, you can always hear her laugh.