Hoover High math teacher and swimming coach Laura Lopez will be leaving Hoover at the end of the school year.

Lopez will take a coaching position at Harvard-Westlake School.

“I feel like I’ve developed as a coach and I’m ready to expand in my coaching career and make a move to a top D1 program,” she said.

She plans to step out of teaching math and go into working full-time as a water polo coach.

While moving to a new school with great opportunities, she has to leave behind all the great memories she has had with the math department, co-workers, and student-athletes.

Lopez expressed how the girls she has been coaching throughout her time have helped her be a better person and a better coach.

While coaching, Lopez has managed to teach as a math teacher. Teaching and coaching isn’t an easy thing but Lopez had a routine, she mentioned how she is going to miss that experience of having a teaching and coaching routine.

“I’ll miss the team, I’ll miss my girls that I’ve stayed with for four years, my classes, and just having a routine here,” she said.