To my teachers,

Good grief, where do I even begin? There's so much to say and even more that I don't know how. You are underappreciated, underrated, and underpaid. You do a thankless job because you know the youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. You stay way past what you have to, pay for supplies out of pocket, and work harder than anyone else. You inspire so many people, every single day. You've inspired me to follow in your foot steps.

This week I have started arguably the biggest and most daunting adventure of my life so far. I've started taking the first steps to becoming a teacher. I've decided to spend the rest of my life teaching children and making a difference. I've decided to be just like you.

You are my heroes and the individuals who have molded me whether you knew it or not. I saw you staying long after the students left. I noticed you helping the student that did better on an oral test rather than a written one. The way you understood why my homework wasn't in after a family emergency reminded me that your job as a teacher is to be a role model and teach us what kindness looks like above how logs work. When you pushed me farther than I ever thought I could go was just when I started to reach my best. These will be the moments I carry with me for the rest of my life. The small moments of showing you prom pictures and talking about cats make me giddy to create those moments with my own students one day.

Thanks to you I now have a direction in my life. I've always wanted to make an impact. There are obvious options such as police officers, firefighters, politicians, or doctors. But in the middle of my senior year, when I started needing to figure out what the fall looked like, I started to notice that the most influential, compassionate, and important people in my life were the ones literally standing right in front of me. You have pushed me, made me cry, made me laugh and have seen who I could be. You have been my confidants, mentors, teachers, role models, and friends.

There is absolutely no way I can ever thank you for showing me what to strive for. As a teacher, I won't be able to leave a bag of cash on your porch. I probably won't win any awards, but if I do, I'll definitely try to mention you by name. I won't ever get around to writing you all letters and shaking your hands. I can do this though, I will do my absolute best to make you proud and carry you with me every single day.

I will always tell my students about the time you changed my view on life by reading The Great Gatsby to my class Junior year. Or how you taught me that pride is earned, not given. Or how you showed me that kindness doesn't have to be grand gestures-- a kind word, a smile, and understanding a situation-- is enough. And of course, I promise to try to be the people you are for me to my students. I will always strive to do what you taught me and carry on the tradition of great educators. I promise to think of you every step of the way. I promise to make you proud.

Forever yours,

The future teacher you didn't know you were inspiring