John Adams High School announced the deaths of Hannah Zweig, 21, and her younger brother in a letter to the school community
Credit: John Adams High School/Facebook
NEED TO KNOW
- An Indiana high school community is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher
- 21-year-old Hannah Zweig, and her younger brother died after what the school described as a “tragic accident”
- The young teacher’s principal described her as someone who was “dedicated to her family, her students and our school”
An Indiana high school community is mourning the loss of a beloved teacher and her younger brother.
John Adams High School in South Bend, Ind., announced in a social media post on Wednesday, Aug. 6, that Hannah Zweig, 21, and her younger brother died after a “tragic accident.”
Additional details were not shared in the school’s statement, but WNDU reported that the teacher and her brother Yosef, 18, died as a result of a drowning accident in Lake Michigan.
In a letter to the community, school principal James Seitz described the life skills teacher as someone who was “dedicated to her family, her students and our school.” She was even recently awarded the title of “Rookie Teacher of the Year” for her school at the South Bend district’s Teacher of the Year Celebration.
“Hannah worked tirelessly as a life skills teacher and made learning the cornerstone of her life,” Seitz wrote. “She built positive relationships with all of her students and always worked to find ways for them to have success.”
Credit: John Adams High School/Facebook
Seitz told WNDU that Zweig emailed him looking for a job two years ago, just as she was finishing her degree.
“You could see from the tone of her email the compassion that she had for young people, especially young people with special needs,” Seitz told the outlet.
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The principal also remembered the 21-year-old teacher as someone who was deeply committed to helping her community. Recently, she organized a prom dress “shop,” where students could visit and take home free prom dresses.
“It was never about her,” Seitz said. “It was always about wanting to help others.”
The school shared that counselors and support staff will be available to anyone in need.
“Hannah was a friend to everyone she encountered,” Seitz wrote on Wednesday. “She always saw the best in people and made everyone around her better because of her hard work and positive attitude.”
“Please keep Hannah, her family and all the people she has impacted in your thoughts and prayers,” the principal added.
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