To the art teacher that led me home. Middle school is never a pleasant time for anyone, and it can feel even more challenging when faced with a decision that can change your life. I was torn between goings to two different schools that would have both benefitted me in different ways. One would allow me to explore the medical field and remain with the friends I had known for the majority of my life. The other was a school that I dreamed about going to for years, but was filled with uncertainty about going because I would have been the new kid. I was faced with a choice of comfort or finally being where I thought I belonged.

After weeks of deliberating I finally decided on the dream school because I learned that the art teacher I so deeply admired went to the same school when she was younger. Being able to see what she had been able to accomplish allowed me to make my decision. By receiving education from the same place as her, I believed I could become at least half as talented as her. I am so thankful to have chosen this school because it now feels like a second home.

To the science teacher that believes in us all. Finding a teacher that is incredibly passionate about their subject is always motivating for their students. I have never been a great student when it comes to science, but having this teacher made me want to excel because of how passionate he was about his teaching. Every day I looked forward to his class because it was never a stressful environment and something interesting was bound to happen. By just being himself, he opened up a world of opportunities for his students that may have never crossed their minds before.

To the English teacher that knew us better than ourselves. Going into this class, I was terrified. Class upon class before us told us how strict and mean this teacher was, but they never told the entire truth. Yes, she was strict, but it was so we could focus on our work and better ourselves. She was never mean, no words of hers ever held any malice. Her class taught me what it takes to not only grow as a student but as a person. The challenges we occasionally faced in her class was never to see us fail, but to see us learn from the mistakes we would face.

Even though my time as a student is far from over, I hope that the teachers and professors I have in the future have half as much an impact on my life that these people had.