As someone who has had some amazing teachers and who was once affiliated with teacher appreciation responsibilities, Teacher Appreciation Day really resonates with me. In my high school, we took a week each year and dedicated it to this holiday. In my junior year of high school, I was in charge of the events, and it was the one the weirdest, most enjoyable, and most rewarding weeks of my high school experience.

One morning, around 6:30 a.m., my dad and I stopped at Walmart on the way to school to pick up about 150 popsicles to hand out. Another early morning that week, we stopped at Einstein's to pick up a few dozen bagels. We also handed out M&M packets with thank you notes and hand-written letters, and created a thank you video.

Naturally, when I learned that it was Teacher Appreciation Day this year, I felt bad that teachers and students could not be together to celebrate. Considering how much every teacher has stepped up during this pandemic, they deserve immense appreciation, and I was worried that Teacher Appreciation Day may go much more unnoticed than it would during a typical school year.

So, I reached out to two of my favorite teachers that left lasting impacts on me: my middle school student council advisor and my high school band director. I wasn't sure if I would get any responses, but it felt like something I should do, just to let them know how much they mean to me and so many others. I knew that even if I did not get responses, I had done a good thing.

But the responses I received made me feel like I truly had done something important. "Your email was just what I needed" and "You brought tears to my eyes" were two little statements that mean the world to me. It was so nice to hear from them and the wonderful things going on in their lives despite the chaos the world is in.

I encourage you to reach out to someone who deserves more appreciation than you can offer. Whether it be a teacher, a friend, your parents, or even your pet! It could make their day, and it will feel oh so rewarding.