Dear High School Teacher,

I never knew why you disliked me so much, or what I had done to make you see me in such a negative way. You viewed me as irresponsible, entitled, and snobby. All things that I wasn't. No matter how involved I was in your class, how well written my papers were, or how good I did on your tests, you still viewed me as the silly, irresponsible, "cheerleader" type girl. Looking back, I realize you never gave me a chance. You saw the pompoms in my hands, and the "popular group" of friends that I held, and you resented me because of it. I embodied everything you saw as pointless, and you wished so badly I would fit the stereotype. Every chance you got, you berated me and made me feel as though I wasn't good enough to be in you class. However, I got the last laugh since I left with the highest grade of the year.

During that year of high school, I felt as though I had somehow failed. A teacher that didn't like me? That was practically unheard of. I worried that I had lost a coveted letter of recommendation, and that your hatred was showing the future of my career endeavors. All I had ever wanted to do was write, and you made that feel impossible. Now, it's not as though I took all this without fighting back, which probably did nothing to help the way you felt towards me. That 17 year old, high school girl wanted nothing more than to piss you off, and I did it pretty well most days. Now, as a 20 year old college student, that is majoring in the subject you taught, I'd like to do something else.

I'd like to tell you thank you.

Thank you for making me feel as though I was less of a person because I was "popular." It's made me continually push to be not only the popular girl, but the intelligent, well versed, popular girl.

Thank you for making me feel stupid. It's made me never want to feel that way again, and made me work my butt off to make sure I don't.

Thank you for ripping apart my papers. It's made me make nothing but A's on every single one I've written since then.

And finally, thank you for laughing when you heard what my major was. It's made me work that much harder to excel in my field, and to prove you and your ideas about me wrong.

You might've thought you won, that you had succeeded in making me think I couldn't do everything I wanted. However, that's not the case. So, I'll just continue to kick butt as an Editor in Chief, a writer, and a student. Thanks so much for all your support.

Sincerely,

Your Successful (despite your best efforts) Ex-Student