Whether they are good or bad, teachers impact students' lives more than they will ever know. Even the teachers you did not care for probably said something at one point that you will carry with you for the rest of your life.

I was lucky enough to have received a few tidbits of knowledge from all kinds of teachers, all the way from elementary school to Advanced Placement classes as a high school senior. I decided it is only fair to pass on their wealth of knowledge:

1. Do not gain the freshman 15. There's more to life than pizza and beer.

2. Life is full of cans, not cannots.

3. When figuring out a math problem, do not be afraid to use your fingers and even your toes. It doesn't matter; just get it right.

4. At the dinner table, avoid talking about politics and religion.

5. There are three things you should never ask anyone: their age, their weight, or what religion they are.

6. If a potential employer asks why you left a previous job, the best answer is always "I was looking for a new opportunity."

7. Not all people are meant to be in your life forever.

8. Try to always give people the benefit of the doubt.

9. As far as help goes, "ask, and you will receive."

10. Good things come to those who wait.

I just want to take a moment to say thank you to all my teachers. When I think back to my twelve years of school, I do not think about the homework or tests (okay, well sometimes I do).

I sometimes think about how much fun I had, especially in high school. But mostly, I think about these lessons that I can apply to real life. I'm so grateful I can pass them on.

In loving memory of Richard Novarro