Staff Spotlight: Hannah Scholes - school psychologist at Irving Middle School

December 26, 2025

Every week, we shine a spotlight on one Lincoln Public Schools staff member! This week, meet Hannah Scholes, school psychologist at Irving Middle School.

“We are so fortunate to have Hannah at Irving Middle School! Hannah is solution focused, data driven, extremely helpful and thoughtful in all circumstances and goes above and beyond to ensure all of our students receive the support they need to be successful at Irving. Hannah develops strong relationships with students and families and is an excellent collaborator. She is always willing to help and go the extra mile.” - Rachael Kluck-Spann, Irving Middle School Principal

In a few sentences, briefly describe your role at LPS.
I am the school psychologist at Irving Middle School and two nonpublic schools, St. Joseph and George Stone. Each day can be very different but I primarily do special education evaluations. I attend a lot of problem solving meetings, work within our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) system, complete functional behavior assessments and observations, work one on one with students, and do my best to support all the things that come up that may not fit into one of those categories.

How long have you worked for LPS?
Seven years.

What inspired you to become part of the education field at LPS?
As a child, school was always my happy place and I thrived in that environment. Also, my parents are both educators and education is a core value in my family. So after finding out about school psychology, I knew that was it. It blends my nerdy love of math/statistics/data with advocacy and problem solving. And now I get to help make school a better and happier place for so many kids, just like it was for me.

What has been your favorite part of working here? What aspect of your job do you find most rewarding?
My favorite part of working in LPS is the community. Within our psych team we are constantly communicating, collaborating and pushing ourselves to serve students the best way. And then when those kids succeed or are excited to tell you about a good grade or a successful day/class period, all the hard work was worth it.

Did you attend LPS as a student? If so, which school(s)? If not, where are you from?
I grew up in Liberty, Mo., which is just outside of Kansas City. Go Jays!

What path did you take after completing your formal education?
I graduated from Creighton University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology before attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I received a Master of Arts in educational psychology and an educational specialist degree in school psychology.

What do you enjoy most about the Lincoln community?
I love that Lincoln is a city with small-town vibes and how passionate people are here. I also love the little communities you can find. I have loved finding Brave Animal Rescue and fostering kittens, going to independent bookstores, and shopping in the summer at the farmers market.

What is your favorite childhood book or a book that has influenced your life positively?
As a child, my favorite book series was Harry Potter. It taught me to stand up for others, question the narrative that is being presented to you, and embrace the differences in those around you. I learned that you don't have to go through things alone and there is a strength in leaning on your friends and the community around you. But as an adult I now have a more complicated relationship with the series due to the hate that the author has expressed. So I can embrace the lessons I learned from Harry, Ron and Hermione, but I no longer identify as part of that community.

Share a shout out to a former teacher who impacted your life.
Amy Simmons was the social worker at my high school, and I am still lucky enough to call her a friend. She is one of my biggest mentors and truly started my love for advocacy. Amy sponsored the Peer Mentors club, where I had the incredible opportunity to speak with legislators at the Capitol in Missouri, run prevention campaigns at my high school, attend leadership conferences, and travel to Washington, D.C., to speak at the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) conference about student-run prevention campaigns.

Do you know a LPS staff member we should feature for Staff Spotlight? Fill out this form to nominate them!

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