Everyone has at least one teacher that has made some sort of impact on their life. Whether that impact be negative or positive, we carry the lessons they’ve taught us throughout the paths we travel in the years to come. I was a lucky one and was blessed with not only a teacher but a coach, a friend, an inspiration and a role model, all in one. So here is to you, coach: a thank you for all that you do.

Thank you for believing in my potential.You never gave up. Even when I was a scared little freshman that sat in the back and didn’t talk, you pushed me every week throughout that year so that I would talk more. You would call on me for questions even when I didn’t have my hand up and at first I hated you for that. I mean, come on dude, who calls on someone when they obviously don’t have their hand up.. But then I realized what you were doing, you were showing me that your room was a safe place.

Thank you for showing me what it takes to be great. I always thought that doing a bunch of different things would one day make me great but that isn’t true. In order to be great, I have to strive for greatness in everything that I do. You taught me that lesson whether you realize it or not. You always strive to be the best teacher, the best coach and the best role model that you could possibly be.

Thank you for offering your classroom as a study place. In my off hours, I didn’t really have a place to go and you didn’t hesitate to let me borrow a small spot in your classroom so that I could finish homework or study for a test. Even when I didn’t have anything to do, you still let me just sit there because you knew that I hated sitting in the library by myself.

Thank you for helping me discover what I want to do with my life. I knew that I wanted to be something great one day but I never even thought of trying to go down the medical path. It was your biology and anatomy class that led me to taking biology 2 AP that led me to enrolling as a biology-health science major in college. I know that this is a very demanding path but I believe that with all the life skills you have taught me, I will be able to make it to the finish line.

You’ve been more than my teacher, my coach and my role model. You are the teacher that cares about everyone. You are the teacher that doesn’t just teach your students the required material, but life lessons too. Thank you so much for all of the lessons throughout the years, they have certainly made me the person I am today.