We've all had that one teacher that forever changed our lives. Well, Smith, this one's for you.

I'll start by saying that you are a remarkable human being. You embody everything a person should be and I will be forever grateful that you are a part of my life.

Thank you for everything you taught me inside the classroom. You are the one who made me fall in love with the subject of psychology. Your class was the first one that I genuinely loved. You prepared me for college more than any other teacher and you made me take command of my education.

More importantly, however, thank you for everything you did for me outside of the classroom. You were always there when I needed someone. I'll never forget when I was going through a hard time you met with me even though you had class. You made time for me without giving it a second thought. You were there for me regardless of the time of day. And even today, you are always there when I need you. I don't know if I've ever expressed just how much it means to me to have you just a text away, but it makes all the difference in the world. I am a stronger person because of you.

Thank you for teaching me to live a full life. You were the one who really made me become the person I am today. You were the one who taught me to wear my heart on my sleeve and never hold back my feelings. You were the one who taught me to fight for others, to stand up for what I believe in. You were the one to teach me that it's okay to start over. You taught me that nothing worth having comes easy and that you have to fight for what you want in life. You taught me that you either love something or you don't, there's no such thing as loving something half way. You taught me that all that matters is my happiness and being able to look at myself in the mirror and smile. You taught me what it means to be truly happy. You taught me to be genuine and straightforward. You taught me to be unapologetically myself. You made me understand the meaning of the saying "this too shall pass" and that knowledge comes from experience. Smith, you made me want to be a better person.

Smith, thank you for being someone I can look up to. You are one of my greatest role models and I'll never be able to thank you enough for all that you've done for me. I know I tell you this all the time, but I really do owe it all to you.

And Smith, you always said that we would forget you after we graduated, but I promise that will never happen.

Thank you for everything. You deserve nothing but the best in life.