As the calendar rolls over to the new year, a teacher who’s always enthusiastic no matter the date is Mr. Hallahan.

Mr. Hallahan went to Bellefonte Area High School (Class of 2007) and then pursued college (Penn State Altoona, Springfield College), playing  sports in both. He has also coached sports on the high school and college levels.

Mr. Hallahan’s career at B-A began in 2020 when he was a long-term sub following COVID lockdowns. Since then, he has been teaching students the basics of high school (Freshman Seminar), excel and coding (Computer Applications), and preparing for the financial part of the world (Financial Literacy).

“I was very lucky to have had many great teachers and mentors throughout my educational journey,” Mr. Hallahan said. “I want to have the same impact on our students here at B-A.”

Aside from teaching, Mr. Hallahan works alongside with Mr. Elder on the yearly Mini-Thon fundraiser. Mini-Thon raises money for the non-profit charity Four Diamonds, which dedicates money to families and communities dealing with childhood cancer.

Under Mr. Hallahan’s guidance, some of the next events for Mini-Thon coming up are district wide stall day and staff jeans day in February. Right now, Thon students are involved in the local business blitz, mailing letters to local business for donations.

One of the biggest events last week was the student’s vs. staff basketball game, which raised $600 and was a fun way to raise money through a competitive event.

The game built off one of one of Mr. Hallahan’s passion, which is the game of basketball. After playing the sport in high school and college, he coached at Springfield College up through 2013.

Aside from Mini Thon and teaching, Mr. Hallahan enjoys coaching jr. high football along with Mr. Martin, who has grown a respect foo his colleague in their tie together.

“Mr. Hallahan takes a passionate, enthusiastic approach to teaching and coaching,” Mr. Martin said.

Outside of school Mr. Hallahan enjoys taking part sports and being out in nature. His favorite past times usually include both, like golfing, traveling, and camping. He also enjoys cooking

As Mr. Hallahan continues to teach, he creates an atmosphere for students and faculty that reflects the perks of being a teacher here at Bellwood-Antis.