Many students can tell you who their favorite teacher was whether they were fun, understanding, influential, etc. I’ve had plenty of teachers I liked, but it was my junior year in high school when I found the one who had the most impact on me. She cared about getting to know her students outside of the classroom.

Personally, this meant a lot to me. She was the first teacher who took an interest in learning about who I was and what my interests were along with my educational needs and goals. Because of this, she was the first and only teacher I opened up to about personal things in my life. She was not only a teacher but a friend. She helped me through things and gave me motivation on things unrelated to school.

The next year, she took a job at a school closer to her home in Missouri. I was devastated because even though I wouldn’t be in her class that year, I would have stopped by to say hi and talk like we did. I was even supposed to be her teacher’s assistant.

In the middle of that next year, I had a crazy idea. What if I went to visit her at her new school? The Spring Break of her school was different from mine, so I could go on my break while they were still in school. After much consideration, debate with my parents, and some emails to her school’s principal, the plan was put into action. My friend who knew her went too, along with my mom. We took a five-hour road trip to Missouri to surprise my favorite teacher.

The plan was perfect because the principal was all game and even offered to buy us pizza and soda for the event! His plan was to ask her to meet with him during a free period, and she didn’t expect anything because she just thought she might be in trouble. Little did she know, my friend and I were sitting there, waiting to surprise her. Her reaction was priceless as she cried happy tears. The principal left us to catch up, and it was like she never left my school.