Dr. Hajzus Takes a Leap to Higher Education

An educator and administrator who spent 22 years in the officially retires on June 30, however he has no plans to take it easy.

Dr. Tom Hajzus moves on to Illinois State University, where he was hired as an assistant professor in the College of Education in the School of Special Education—a role about which he could not be more thrilled.

“You can retire from a profession and not retire from life,” he said. “As long as you still have drive left, then the opportunity is out there.”

Hajzus certainly has drive.

He’s taking a risk, jumping two states, leaving his home, his family, his father and his friends at age 57. But, he says he always knew he’d migrate to higher education, he just didn’t know where.

He’ll be teaching undergraduate- and doctoral-level courses at a school that produces more teachers than any college or university in the country, he said.

“It was the first public college in the state of Illinois,” Hajzus said. “It’s very intriguing—there are 1,000 K-12 students right on campus who college students have the opportunity to student teach.”

He said this position falls into exactly what he was looking for and vice versa.

“The university was looking for a crossover practitioner who is special education- and regular education-certified. I’m a seasoned, experienced educator.”

Hajzus said he was at the career point where he needed “to get out of the firestorm” and use his skills “to teach people how to get through the firestorm.”

“With all of the experience I garnered here at Peters, I have a wealth of experience to share with other people,” he said.

Originally from the Johnstown/Altoona area, Hajzus served as principal for 18 years. Prior to principal, he was the director of Special Programs and Projects for two years.

He calls home and happily sent his children through the district.

Post-principal, he spent two years as an assistant to the superintendent. And while on leave, he said he still consulted with the district in times of need—most recently in May.

“I’ve been prepared well for the clientele in higher education,” Hajzus said. “I’ve always seen Peters as a community college. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a staunch supporter of vocational education and getting out and getting a job, but our masses are college bound. It’s given me a good feel for what to expect.

“The people that I’ve had a chance to interact with in Peters dwarf most of the people in the field,” he said. “I’ve hired some of the greatest teachers anybody would ever see and got the chance to observe them for 22 years.” 

Hajzus said the greatest gift he takes from Peters are the interactions with the parents and children.

“When you work here, you really have such a wide-range of students to deal with,” he said. “Even though they are all academically challenging, the spectrum is huge. That prepares me for just about anything that I will face down the road.”

He said he finds going into an environment where he’s the newest person with no authority at all is really exciting.  

“I don’t know what I don’t know,” he said. “If I had to list for you the things I didn’t like, the page would be blank. That’s the place you want to go to.”

Hajzus said it doesn’t surprise him that his family would be so supportive. His wife, Patty, an educator in her 35th year; his daughter, Aly, a senior at Ohio State University; and his son, Tyler, a 2010 Drexel University graduate working in Philadelphia, are 110 percent behind this opportunity, he said.

“I’ve always loved to be a lifelong learner and this is an extension of that. You learn from the students as much as you teach them.

When I retire on June 30, I don’t have to work. I could sit on my deck and drink iced tea and do what I want to do. But, when you’re given the gifts of all my experience, and you’re a true educator, you want to give back.”

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