It’s easy to imagine that teachers spend all their time grading papers. Sometimes it seems as though they even live at school, but the truth is that our teachers are some pretty amazing people, who do some pretty cool things. Yep, you read that right. Teachers actually have lives outside of school.

Math teacher Sasha Welch has been to about 35 to 40 concerts. “I go because I love music, and I love to see live music,” Welch said.

She’s traveled anywhere from Denver to Omaha to see Nelly, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gucci Mane, The Weeknd, Lil Wayne, Rae Sremmurd, Hozier, Jason Aldean, The 1975, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, and many more. However, Welch says her favorite artist to see was Paul McCartney. “He has more energy and plays longer than anyone I’ve ever seen, and I love The Beatles,” Welch said.

Welch gets to interact with the artists occasionally. “I haven’t done like backstage stuff, but the Lumineers retweet me occasionally and high fived me at their last show in Denver, so I consider them my friends by now.”

Welch says she enjoys going to any concert, whether it’s a small act or a huge venue. “I like to be up close with cool bands and people that are so good at what they do. You’re surrounded by other people who also love that artist, and are there to enjoy them too.”

English Teacher Heather Collen has had the opportunity to meet many celebrities at Comic Cons in Denver, Colorado Springs and Kansas City. “Comic Con is a convention where everyone who loves nerdy types of movies, tv shows, comic books, get together,” Collen said.

Collen said she found an ad for the Denver Comic Con and decided to go. “I go because I think it’s fun and I have a good time.”

At Comic Cons Collen has met James and Oliver Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Matthew Lillard, and more. She also ate dinner about two tables away from Jason Momoa. “Every Comic Con is awesome because everyone I have met has been awesome,” Collen said.

There’s a wide variety of people who go to concerts, and Comic Cons, and run marathons and do countless more amazing things on top of dedicating themselves to the education of young people, but NPHS teachers are truly special.