By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
Alicia Hammeke Knight has been named the incoming assistant principal of Holy Family Elementary School for the 2025-2026 school year.
Knight has been a Holy Family Elementary parent for five years and is an alumnus of Holy Family Elementary and Thomas Moore Prep-Marian, making her familiar with Catholic values.
"In education, we're looking at whole people, especially when it comes to our faith and Catholic-based school," Knight said. "I'm not just looking at a student academically. We're trying to develop these children as a whole being."
Knight graduated from TMP in 2009 and received her bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in special education from Fort Hays State University in 2014.
Knight earned her English for speakers of other languages endorsement and taught in Gardner from 2014 to 2017. She returned to Hays and began teaching fourth and fifth grade at O'Loughlin Elementary School in 2017.
"I've said it all along, Hays has the best schools, we have such a beautiful town, and O'Loughlin is wonderful... it'll be hard to leave," Knight said.
She earned her master’s degree in education administration from Fort Hays State University in 2023 and is eager to step into her new role at Holy Family Elementary.
Knight said she plans to work closely with Principal Mandy Meagher and uphold the school’s Catholic mission. She added she greatly admires her father, Curtis Hammeke, who was recently appointed as the new president of Hays Catholic Schools.
"I really look up to him and see a lot of positive qualities he has, which was part of my inspiration," she said.
Holy Family Elementary School announced her new position in a Facebook post.