Jenna Bush Hager Recalls Wild Comment Someone Made About Her Job Early on in Her Career (Exclusive)

Jenna Bush Hager wasn't always Hoda Kotb's sidekick on the fourth hour of Today. Longtime fans know the co-anchor started her career as an elementary school teacher, which was cause for at least one interaction so unbelievable, that she still thinks about it today.

Parade spoke with the media personality and author about her recent campaign with household tissue brand Kleenex, celebrating its 100th anniversary by gifting educators and students the supplies they need to get through the year. Because Bush Hager is a former teacher, it's a natural partnership.

While speaking of her experience working in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., public schools, the 42-year-old remembered a standout comment someone made to her upon discovering her profession.

“When I was a teacher, I was a third-grade teacher, and I came to visit my sister in New York and she worked in a museum and I went to a party with her and somebody said, ‘What do you do?’ And I said, ‘I’m a third-grade teacher!’"

Bush Hager then recalled the person telling her, "How cute."

Completely taken aback, she said: "My kids are cute, but my job is not cute. It’s demanding, it’s intellectually stimulating, it’s hard."

She continued, suggesting the responsibilities of her former role aren't as straightforward as many may believe and that her campaign with Kleenex is a symbolic way of honoring the bigger picture.

"I think part of what we don’t realize is that teachers are educators, of course, but they are also counselors and they are mediators, they are love givers–they are teaching leadership and kindness and compassion, and with that comes feelings and kids that don’t feel well and all of the things," she explained.

"Even just based on the symbolism alone, that Kleenex would be one of the top things that we would bring into our schools shows how important teachers are to our culture, to our communities."

Through her partnership with Kleenex, one deserving school will receive a massive $100,000 donation, and another $400,000 will be distributed among 100 other schools nominated by their communities.

To nominate a school, visit kleenex100years.com now through Monday, Aug. 26, and complete a two-part written prompt explaining why you think it deserves the donations. According to the brand, "Schools will be evaluated based on an objective set of criteria, and the selected schools will be those who exemplify Kleenex’s mission of providing students with resources to face everyday moments of vulnerability and thrive."

Next: Jenna Bush Hager Details Interaction With Donna Kelce on Set of New Hallmark Film