“Catholic education forms the mind and the soul”

Catholic education runs in her family: her father was a principal of a Catholic school, and she began her career as a teacher at a Catholic elementary school. Dr. Rebecca Hammel is the new superintendent of the Catholic schools in our diocese. 
 
Dr. Hammel grew up with five siblings in Indianapolis, Indiana. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Indiana State University, a master’s degree in Education Administration and Supervision from Butler University, and a doctorate in Catholic Education Leadership and Policy from the Catholic University of America.
 
Dr. Hammel joins us from the Diocese of Dallas, where she spent two years as Superintendent, overseeing twenty-nine diocesan schools and seven independent schools, which together serve 14,108 students. Before that, she was the Associate Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Georgia, and has held various administrative roles, including principal and teacher, in Catholic schools across Indiana, Kentucky, and Texas.
 
“I want to welcome Dr. Rebecca Hammel and thank her for coming to the Diocese of Corpus Christi as our new Superintendent of Catholic Schools,” said the Most Reverend Bishop Michael Mulvey. “I hope that she will be welcomed by the school community, as well as everyone in Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas.”
 
Dr. Hammel is passionate about Catholic schools and invites all parents to consider enrolling their children, “not only for the stellar academic education, but also for faith formation, which means development for the soul.” She highlights the holistic approach: “Catholic schools are going to teach children to be a person for others, to be a child of God, and to be a servant of God as an adult. And that's what we hope to instill in our children, is that act of self-love, loving your neighbor, and providing service to others throughout their lives.”
 
Dr. Hammel is married and the mother of two stepchildren – one of whom is also a principal at a Catholic school in New York state. In her free time, she loves reading and spending time outdoors.