A devoted daughter, loving wife, selfless mother, caring friend, and teacher I will never forget.

Hearing of Michele Oshman’s passing late Tuesday night was a shocking and devastating one that broke many of the hearts she had touched throughout her life. It wasn’t long before there was an outpour of heartfelt statuses on social media mourning a teacher that had truly changed their lives.

The first time I ever met Michele Oshman, she went by Ms. Bock and was my history teacher my freshman year in high school at Leominster High. She had this infectious, bubbly quality that showcased how much she truly loved her job, and had a way of making her students feel at ease, even on the very first day of school. It became clear to me through her down to earth nature and honest interactions in, and out of class, how much she truly cared about us, and how passionate she was about enlightening our class in fun and innovative ways. Immediately, she became one of my favorite teachers. She loved her students and we loved her.

At the end of my freshman year, my friend Nysi had told me about a club on campus run by Ms.Bock and Ms.Cardoza, (another brilliant history teacher at Leominster who now goes by Mrs.Brunetti), called Invisible Children. I joined the club and made many wonderful memories with Ms. Bock, Ms.Cardoza and student leaders of the group, Amanda Clark, Angela Rossi, and Sabrina Chartrand. A memory of being in this club that I will never forget was when Ms. Bock sang at an Invisible Children Banquet we had at school. She was shy about singing and hadn’t done it since her wedding day, but her voice was as beautiful and lovely as she was. It was during this time in the club that I really got to know her for the extraordinary woman that she was. Her dedication to the club and making the world a better place was evident to me and her quirky sense of humor and contagious laughter was something we all looked forward to every Monday afternoon. It was also at these meetings that I realized how supportive she was of her students, and how readily available she was to talk about anything any of us were going through, she became more than just a teacher, she was a friend.

My story of how Michele (Bock) Oshman personally touched my life is one out of thousands. The caliber of teacher and validation of her kind heart is evidenced by the number of stories I have read that have been shared through social media and newspaper articles. She was there for her students when they needed her the most, and was a friendly, familiar face in so many of our lives. Michele Oshman inspired a number of individuals, (including myself), to be the best people they could be. Whether you talk to her students, fellow teachers, family members, or friends, you will hear what an incredible woman she was and how the world needs more people like her. I, as well as numerous others, are still grieving even as I write this article, but Michele was one of the most positive, upbeat women I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I know her bright smile is shining down on us from above and that she would want us all to do as her instagram name entails and, continue to “look for the beauty in the world.” and know that she will always be with us in our hearts.