By Amelia Naughten, News Editor
The Stanley Cup has become a widespread phenomenon on social media, ranging from “Stanley Cup survives 1,000 degree fire and crashing building” to “10 year-old’s hot takes on the latest Starbucks edition.” This adult sippy cup is making waves in America, and students and teachers alike across the nation are steeped in this trend.
Just one week ago during flex, a student overheard Ms. Donohoe on a call, and before you knew it, the tea was spilled; it turns out, Ms. Donohoe had been collaborating with Stanley on a new cup design! Shockingly, that wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg when it came to Ms. Donohoe’s extensive history with Stanley.
In 2016, when Ms. Donohoe first began teaching at Taylor Middle School, the iconic Stanley Tumbler was released. Soon after, the cup gained popularity among teachers, and Ms. Donohoe was quick to follow in the footsteps of her fellow educators, even starting her own Instagram account dedicated to her passion for Stanley Cups, @hydratedhistorian. In fact, she was among the first to pioneer the slang term “stan” for Stanley Cup fans long before it became a staple of internet culture. “The power that you feel knowing that you’re a fully hydrated educator–it just gives me the energy to get through our year with a smile every day,” Ms. Donohoe shared with The Thunderbolt.
From 2017-2022, she built up an impressive collection of over 100 Stanley Cups, including premier-limited-edition add-ons such as the clip-on food tray, phone and credit card sleeve, drink warming plate, and slide-on ring light that she broadcasts to her over 50,000 followers every week.
“Because of my teacher influencer Instagram where I’m often featured in the classroom with my Stanley Cup, my content has been linked as one of the top 10 sellers of their merchandise.” Ms. Donohoe recounted that in fall of last year, Stanley DMed her with a request to collaborate on a historical themed line, and she just couldn’t refuse, saying, “It was worth it for the opportunity to combine my love of history and hydration!”
Teacher by day, Stanley Cup designer by night, Ms. Donohoe shared that working with Stanley was “smooth sipping.” In the end, the team decided on a concept close to home.
“I wanted my design to be fun, but of course, I also wanted it to reflect my expertise in US history,” Ms. Donohoe explained. Her line of cups coined the Founding Father Flasks comes in seven unique colors, each cup featuring a different founding father sporting their best wigs and quizzical expressions, themed around different drinks. On top of that, the cup comes with a detachable magnetic feather pen and inkwell “to inspire the next generation to write their own declaration of independence!” (or to just doodle during boring meetings).
For her favorite tumbler, the Hamilton H2O, Ms. Donohoe customized it with a memorable quote from the famed treasury secretary sprawled across the side of the cup, along with her iconic Hamilton-inspired slogan “talk less, drink more” engraved on the handle.
Ms. Donohoe noted that at first, she felt doubtful that people would relate to her designs, but that the team at Stanley reassured her by dismissing this idea, repeatedly commenting, “It’s so coquette! Slay.”
Although Ms. Donohoe will not receive proceeds for her design, Stanley was able to offer all Mills students who show their student ID a 50% discount on the cup: “Even though my months of work led to me getting paid nothing, at least my students will get the cups easier?”
Stanley has predicted that the release of Ms. Donohoe’s product on April 10th, 2024 at all participating stores will create an even larger stir on social media than the Starbucks collaboration did, generating a record $10 billion for the company as well as restoring the state of the US economy. Currently, Ms. Donohoe and Stanley are also in the works of developing a groundbreaking series for dogs, inspired by Ms. Donohoe’s Golden Retriever, Leo. How to account for Ms. Donohoe’s rise to the top? Well, she designs non-stop!
