To Whom It May Resemble:
Hello. It’s me again. Yes, it’s been a couple of years and you probably haven’t thought about me much. Sadly, I can’t say the same thing. I have thought about you every single day. Every sleepless night studying for a test, every exhausting 8 a.m. trying to fit in my credits for the semester, and every single time I wanted to quit and drop out, I have thought about you. Are you wondering why you are such an important factor in my life? The answer is simple. It’s because you said you didn’t believe in me.
When you openly admitted you didn’t believe I would amount to anything, my heart broke. I had only been told, “If you believe it, you can achieve it” and your words brought me back to reality. Your words made me realize that I had to prove you wrong. So, thank you.
As a teacher, you were supposed to help guide and nurture me. That is what a teacher is supposed to do. You don’t go into teaching for the money; you go into it for the students. Why was I any different? Why was I chosen to be the student you didn’t see potential in? Yes, I may have talked a lot and goofed around, but I still did my work and tried my best. I still tried to please you and all you did was cut away at my self-esteem. So, thank you.
I knew something had to be done, but what? I started to work endlessly. I applied for more scholarships and tried harder than I even knew was possible. I applied to my dream school and got in. I went through sorority recruitment and got into an amazing chapter. I (for once) did things on my own and succeeded! So, thank you.
I wanted so bad to call you a bad teacher. I wanted so many times to tell someone what was happening. I wanted so bad to scream and yell and tell you exactly what I thought about you and your “teaching style”. Looking back now, I am happy with the way things turned out. I am happy I decided to handle things on my own, instead of running for help like I usually did. I grew up because of you. So, thank you.
I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. Thank you for making me push myself to achieve my goals and make me look to the future. Thank you for making me realize that not everyone is going to like me, and that’s okay. Thank you for helping me pursue my dreams.
Because of you, I want to be a teacher. I want to help all of my students grow and help them achieve whatever they wish to, and to never let them believe they cannot do something. Because of you, I was able to push myself the most I have ever been pushed. Because of you, I am entering my sophomore year of college after finishing last year with a great GPA and I can’t wait to see what the future holds. You may not have believed in me, but you made me believe in myself, and for that I thank you.
Best wishes,
Your Student
