We have all had teachers who inspire us, who push us, and who wholeheartedly believe in us. I have been fortunate enough to have many of these teachers, but there is one in particular who sticks out in my mind. This is a letter to Mrs. Erkkinen and all the other teachers in the world who are as inspiring and kindhearted as her.

You met me before I even started high school. I was small and shy, while you were loud and full of an energy which I could not yet understand. As a freshman, I was part of your theater class and part of the after-school drama program that you ran. Though I was nervous and didn't think much of myself, I think you always saw something in me that I would not recognize until I left high school. In "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat," you cast me as one of the brothers with a singing part. In theater class, you gave me a challenging monologue even though I was the youngest student in the class. You proved to me that I could do everything that I thought I couldn't.

My sophomore year of high school, you were my English teacher. When we did a unit on spoken word poetry, I found my calling -- but I didn't know that until you told me. I already knew I loved poetry, but I didn't know if I was good at poetry. I spent hours searching spoken word poets on YouTube, and when it came time to write our own spoken word poem, mine came to me quite naturally. When I performed it in front of the class, I remember everyone being shocked at what had just come out of my mouth. I knew that I needed to keep writing. I just needed another push.

Junior year of high school, I took your Creative Writing class. This is the class I had been waiting to take since I walked through the doors my freshman year. Every assignment was an adventure, and every week I received comments from you on my writing; my confidence grew. Whenever there was a poetry contest, you told me about it. At some point during high school (it's a blur as to when exactly), you helped me apply to the New England Young Writer's Conference in Vermont. I submitted the first spoken word poem I had ever written, with no hope to get an acceptance letter back. A few months later, though, sitting in my mailbox was an acceptance letter. I was given the opportunity to work with a professional writer for a handful of days and had experiences that I couldn't have had anywhere else. You also had me apply to another poetry contest, in Maine, for which I was a finalist.

My junior year was the last year that you taught. (Well, until you decided to come out of retirement to teach Creative Writing again, a few years after I left.) To say senior year was less exciting without you would be an understatement. Despite your absence from the school, you wrote me the most beautiful college recommendation letter I could have ever asked for. You supported the seniors through their final year of drama, whether in person or in spirit. You came to graduation.

You have not only been a shining light in my life, but in many others' lives as well. I can safely say that without you I would not be the person I am today. You gave me the confidence I needed to grow into the person that you already knew I was. You inspired me to keep writing. You introduced me to spoken word, which is now one of the most important parts of my life. More than that, I was more to you than just a student whose papers you needed to grade. There is no teacher that has done as much as you did to make sure I succeeded.

Thank you for all that you have done for me, and I hope I am making you proud.