Los Banos High is having to say good bye to another important and beloved teacher, Ms. Hansa Bhaskar, the AP and Pre Calculus teacher who will be retiring after teaching for 33 years. She is also the adviser for the Mu Alpha Theta club.

Born in Mumbai, India, she graduated high school, and she received her master’s degree in physics.  She came to the United States and earned her teaching credential from Fresno Pacific University.  Bhaskar began teaching at Los Banos High in 1986.

“LBHS has been a second home to me for 33 years. I have had a wonderful time with my classes and could not be prouder of their achievements. The AP calculus classes have been especially fun and interesting; watching students grow to that level and succeed is so rewarding. I would love to know what happens to my students and hope they succeeded,” said Ms. Bhaskar.

Ms. Bhaskar will miss her students most of all.  She loved teaching because of her students.  She said teaching for so long was “For the kids!  The kids draw a teacher to teaching.  I enjoy my classes; I like to see them grow.”

One of her favorite memories was with her first AP class.  She met with her students several times a week during lunch, and because they spent so much time together, she got to know her students very well. “Then many of them passed the AP test with a 4 or higher!  I was so proud of them.  There were 10 that passed with a 5 , and 8 of them passed with a 4.”  This is a true testament to the type of teacher Ms. Bhaskar was over the years.  She is dedicated and a hands-on teacher who put her students first.  She worked hard for them to be successful, not only in the class and on the test, but in life overall.

Marissa Cintora (12) had her for two years of math.  She said, “Ms. Bhaskar was a teacher that always wanted us to do our best, and never thought any of us were truly incapable of doing something we put our minds to.  She understood not everyone’s passion was math, but did her very best to help us understand each and every topic.  She was always kind and knew when one of us was having a bad day.  Not only did she teach me math, but she taught me how to be more of a leader, and someone who could support the people I care about.  She helped me begin to unlock my potential, and find out what I really want to do with my life.  Senior year would not have been the same without the opportunities Ms. Bhaskar opened up for me, and I’m grateful to have been able to call her my teacher.”

Ms. Bhaskar advises her students to listen to their teachers and to take advantage of learning and listening to them. “Tell them your teachers always mean well.  They want the best for you.  To get the most out of your education, listen to your teachers.  They have the best advice.  No matter the teacher.”

Throughout the years, Ms. Bhaskar influenced not only her students, but her colleagues as well.  Mrs. Veronica Seaborn said, “Ms. Bhaskar has been a mentor towards me for the last nine years. She has shared her wisdom and experiences with me. I will miss her dearly. I hope she comes back and subs at LBHS.”

“While I only had the pleasure of working with Ms. Bhaskar a few years, her experience and insights were very helpful, and she will be missed,” said Mr. Allen Spivey.

Ms. Bhaskar has many hobbies and interests to focus on during retirement.  She said about retirement, “If I miss learning, I’ll just teach at a college.  I do want to travel for a couple of months.  I want to go back to my original interest, Indie classical music.  I never had time to do that here, and it would be great to get back into that time consuming thing.  That’s the serious part of me-doing things I wanted to do before.”

Thank you Ms. Bhaskar for your many years of service.  LBHS will not be the same without you.  Remember, once a Tiger, always a Tiger.  We wish you the best.