After getting asked to try out for the water polo team while doing rehab for a knee injury in a pool, history teacher Kirsten Hany has definitely lived an interesting life so far.

After six years teaching at U-High and there are multiple rumors circulating around Hany. In order to find out the truth, we had to sit down and play fact or fiction.

Fact: “She got engaged a week after she met her husband,” senior Peris Story said.

“I heard she got married to her husband after two weeks of knowing him,” freshman Emily O’Leary said.

“Yes, it was like we’d known each other for, well… it was under 10 days, and we got engaged,” Hany said.

Hany actually rejected him when he first asked her out. The second time she said ‘yes’ and they went from there. But this wasn’t all Hany did in college.

Fiction: “Ms. Hany got a dual scholarship D1, I think it was at Iowa for cheerleading and water polo. I know that she got the D1 offer, or speculation that she got the D1 offer,” senior Emanuel Bada said.

Fact: “She did water polo in college,” senior Michael Mosley said.

“Okay, no scholarship. But I did go in with intentions to cheer… I did [try out] and I made the team. But I was not a scholarship athlete” Hany said.

In high school she never dreamed of doing water polo. But something she was interested in was working in the funeral industry.

Fiction: “She used to be a cadaver preserver thing for mortuary, a mortician yes,” junior Alok Kamatar said.

“No, I was not a mortician… When I got into highschool I decided that I was either going to be a history teacher or work in like the funeral industry and be a funeral director. I chose history teacher,” Hany said.

After babysitting the kids of the funeral director Hany was able to get some experience in that area. She did the hair and makeup part-time for the dearly departed. It was after this, that she made her decision to become a teacher.

Fact: “She used to teach at other schools,” sophomore Sami Spain said.

“She was a teacher in Clinton,” sophomore Olivia Cramer said.

“I was there [at Clinton] for five years. It’s a different environment than here, but for me it’s always about the students,” Hany said.

Some rumors were about heart-breaking experiences.

Fact: “She had a dog die on her lap before,” freshman Skyler Jenkins said.

“I did. Gosh, I tell stupid stories and people remember them,” Hany said.

Whereas others were a little heartwarming.

Fact: “I heard she got a ticket and she fought in court,” senior Simon Heinrich said.

“I did, I did… They claimed that I had used my device but they didn’t have any proof. So I actually fixed that and won,” Hany said.

However, Hany isn’t the only family member “winning.” Her father won in many ways when it came to football.

Fiction: “Her dad, or something, is like a ‘sports guy’ or something like that,” freshman Grace Rich said.

“Well, my dad is a pretty accomplished athlete. He’s in the ISU Hall of Fame for Football. But no, he didn’t have a career in sports. He’s an engineer,” Hany said. “After college he had a few offers for professional football, but ultimately decided to stay in the area and begin working in his chosen field.”

Just as her father did with college football, Hany is getting to live out her dream of being a teacher.

“For me it’s always about the students… I think you can find positive attributes about the people you’re with everyday,” Hany said.