As we grow up, we're told as students that we need to start looking for something we're passionate about to one day pursue as a career. Sometimes this "something" is natural and comes to us when we're young, but for others of us, this thing takes longer to develop and we're left with doubts. 'What if I'm not good enough?' 'Will I really be able to make a living out of this?'
This is to the teacher who believed in me, the one who never doubted me. This is to the teacher who recognized my talent and told me I was good enough.
All my life, I had an idea of what I wanted to later pursue later in life as a career path. It was always in the back of my mind, but I never seriously considered it because I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I knew it would be a struggle the whole way to the top and I wasn't sure if I was ready to take that plunge into the unknown, or if I was even good enough to compete.
But having you as a teacher changed my whole outlook on it. You knew, without me even saying it out loud, that I had a passion. So you went out of your way to tell me that I was good. You told me I was great and I will never forget your words of encouragement as you pushed me in the right direction and helped me set goals for myself. When you knew I could do better, you told me. You saw my potential.
You saw me work for it every day and recognized that I could actually have a future that involved my passion. You believed in my ability to be successful, no matter what obstacles stood in my way. We both knew that it wouldn't be an easy road to follow and that it would take a lot of heart and hard work, but you believed I had both. You believed I could do it.
You helped me build my dream. Until that point, it had only been an idea, but you helped me shape my dream, whether you're aware of that or not. Ever since, I've been working hard and everything I've done up until this point is beginning to pay off. I'm working toward making my dream a reality, and that's all because you faith in me when I didn't.
You were the best teacher I've ever had, and I'm so thankful for that. While you loved to make jokes and kid around, you were serious when it came to teaching and you were a seriously wonderful teacher. Thank you for your passion, and thank you for inspiring me to follow mine.
