BRIDESBURG, Pa. (WPVI) – A Philadelphia elementary school is celebrating a very special teacher who has been inspiring young minds for 50 years.

Kathleen O’Hanlon, a first-grade teacher at Bridesburg Elementary School, is celebrating her 50th anniversary as a Philadelphia public school teacher.

“I think being a teacher is almost innate, from the moment you’re a little girl you always want to be a teacher,” she said.

O’Hanlon’s faculty and students gathered in the cafeteria to make sure this was an anniversary he would never forget. A school board resolution was passed in O’Hanlon’s honor, and a state representative presented him with a certificate.

“Who has been teaching for 50 years? “I guess I thought I would have retired a long time ago, but I was rewarded by having great colleagues,” he said.

O’Hanlon says she followed in the footsteps of her aunt, Philomena O’Hanlon, who was a teacher in the Philadelphia school district when her nephew was born. She sees her aunt as a role model.

Bridesburg Director Dr. Don DiPaulo says O’Hanlon touched both students and other teachers throughout his decades of teaching.

“He gives so much to this and this gives back to him. “You can see it all the time,” he said.

Even though it’s been 50 years, O’Hanlon says he still enjoys being a teacher.

“My father told me, ‘Kathy, you’ll never grow old by staying with your children.’ “And I really believe that’s true,” he said. “I enjoy every day of my time as a teacher.”

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