It’s easy to forget that our teachers lead full lives outside of M-A, and it’s particularly hard to imagine that those lives might be exciting and cool—especially by teenage standards. We rarely catch a glimpse into their out-of-school escapades besides a photo on their desk or a magnet on their wall, but some carry permanent emblems in the form of tattoos.
The M-A Chronicle spoke to four inked-up teachers to learn about the stories and significance behind their body art.
Kat Keigher
English teacher Kat Keigher has nine tattoos. She shared, “My tattoo with the most significance is a pair of stork scissors on my right forearm. These scissors, which I own in real life, were historically used by midwives to do sewing projects while they waited during labor and delivery. When the baby arrived, they would use those same scissors to cut the umbilical cord. This gave rise to the story of babies being delivered by storks! I was born at home by a midwife, and both my children were born by a midwife. I’m also a seamstress, so this image is particularly special to me.”
However, she added, “Most of my tattoos have little to no significance. I agonized over having an elaborate, symbolic meaning for my very first tattoo, but after a couple more, I realized that they can just be pretty.”
Keigher said, “There is something beautiful about customizing your already-unique body into something that feels even more beautiful and special. Tattooing is unique in that you have to love an artist’s work so much that you’re willing to wear it around 24/7 for the rest of your life.”
“My favorite part is being able to tell stories about them, share my interests, and support artists in their craft,” she reflected. “Tattoos, for me, are another way to connect with people.”
Ronnie Sanchez
History teacher Ronnie Sanchez also has nine tattoos. Instead of picking his tattoos out beforehand, Sanchez has a unique tradition: “Every Friday the 13th, tattoo shops will usually have something called a ‘flash sale’ where they’ll lay out a series of pre-made designs created by in-house artists,” he said. “They usually cost some variation of the number 13 (e.g. $13, $31, $113, etc.). I go out to a different tattoo shop every Friday the 13th and choose a design there; I never know what I’m going to get until I actually show up at the shop.”
However, it isn’t always an easy experience. “One time I was there from 4 p.m. until 3 a.m. waiting for my turn, but it was worth the wait because I got the chance to interact with other people waiting and get to know total strangers.”
He added, “I think the most difficult thing about getting my first tattoo was dealing with the feeling of disapproval from my mom, but she eventually got over it.”
In the future, he said, “You can find me in some tattoo parlor getting new ink every Friday the 13th.”
Ana Ventura
English teacher Ana Ventura tops the list with ten tattoos. “I got them all when I was younger,” she said. “At this point I feel sort of ambivalent about them. Honestly, I don’t really think about them that much until someone starts staring.”
Ventura’s largest tattoo, which depicts the shoreline and orange blossoms, was inspired by a myth about her father’s home city of Valencia, Spain.
“I also have a tattoo on my wrist to commemorate my best friend, who passed away when we were in college,” Ventura said. She has literary symbols to reflect her love of writing and a ruby on her calf for her grandmother Ruby, as well.
She explained, “I have three matching tattoos with my friend Melissa, mostly because I am not a matching tattoos kind of person, so they’re sort of poking fun at myself.”
“For many years I thought I was done getting tattoos, and maybe I am,” Ventura remarked. “But recently, I started thinking of getting a full sleeve on my left arm. I probably won’t do it, but you never know.”
Cat Morgan
English teacher Cat Morgan has three tattoos and loves them all equally. “One is a swallow, one is a half-sleeve of flowers, and one is a full-sleeve on my right arm representing different plants and animals I’ve seen while hiking since I moved to California almost six years ago,” she described.
Impressively, Morgan creates her own designs. For her tattoo of a swallow, she said, “I left the sketch on my nightstand for six months leading up to my appointment to make sure I was set on that design.”
As for its meaning, Morgan explained, “In earlier times, going out to sea was a dangerous task, and sailors weren’t sure if they would actually return home each time they left. As the stories go, because swallows only fly so far out away from land and over the ocean, if a sailor saw a swallow while on the way home, they knew they were almost there—even if they couldn’t see land yet. For me, it’s a reminder that even if a goal feels out of reach at the moment, I’m almost there.”
Morgan’s half and full-sleeve tattoos were inspired by her connection to nature. She said, “The collection on my left arm includes flowers native to North Carolina, Georgia, and California—the three states I’ve called home.”
