As I get ready for my junior year of college, it is so hard to believe how far I have come and how much I have learned along the way in my educational journey. Reflecting back on the years I spent sitting in classrooms, there is one thing that I know for certain to be true: I would not be the person I am today without the teacher who believed in me. This is a letter to you and all the other teachers who inspire students every day to be the best version of themselves.

Dear Teacher,

I wanted to start by saying how lucky I am to have had you as a role model in my life. I may not have realized it at the time, but I really looked up to you. Thank you for always showing up with a smile. It made me realize how much of an impact a positive attitude can have on the people around you. Thank you for learning my name so quickly even though I knew you had dozens of other students. It made me feel special to know you cared.

Thank you for calling on me even though I never raised my hand. It taught me to be confident in my voice and opinions even though I was shy. Thank you for complimenting my outfit that day I wore a dress. Little did you know that before that I could barely focus on the lesson because I was so insecure about the way I looked. Thank you for noticing when I was having a bad day. It made me feel safe to know you were paying attention.

Thank you for setting high standards for your classroom. It taught me how to set standards for myself and the people around me. Thank you for pushing me to be the best I could be even if that meant not succeeding every time. Learning what it was like to fail at something pushed me to work harder.

Thank you for telling me I was smart and a great student. I still remember to this day the confidence I gained from hearing that simple phrase and believing with my whole heart I was smart enough to achieve anything.

Thank you for all these small things that together made such a huge impact on my life. I am so lucky to have a teacher that cared so much about my success. Because of you, I want to teach so that I too can help shape others' lives. Thank you for believing in me and showing me how to believe in myself.

Sincerely,

Your student