Your ears must always be ringing because you get name-dropped A LOT—but in a good way. Coming from a predominantly white town in a rural area, people are always shocked about my stance on certain issues and about how I interact with minority groups. I always say that it was because of you. And I just wanted to say: Thank you.
Growing up, everyone seemed like carbon copies of each other and I could have easily fallen into the values that many small towns fester. I remember one time in the third grade I thought I was a minority because my family was one of the few families in town that wasn't at all Italian--that is literally what I thought it meant to be a minority. But because of you, I have realized it is so much more. Being part of the minority doesn't just mean making up a small percentage of the whole population. And being in the majority is nothing to be ashamed of, so long as you use your privilege to help those that are less privileged. Because of you I have a deeper empathy for others.
Because of you, I am more cultured. You gave me an appreciation for other cultures--and not just French. Thank you for working to bring foreign exchange students to our school. You showed me that there is more to the world than what I can see outside my window. Thank you for being an active part of my education and helping me with my French even after I was no longer in your classes and was preparing for college. You have always gone above and beyond for your students. Because of you I was able to place into intermediate French my freshmen year of college. And despite my fears, I was able to get an A in the class.
Because of you, I am more of a free-spirit. All your little antics made my (and others) high school experience. I know I do not speak for myself when I say that you made an impact on my life. Students at Johnsonburg Area High School today are really missing out, but I know you're making an impact on the lives of a whole new crop of students overseas--and I'm sure they are just as grateful.
