To the Art Teacher that never let me give up,

Thank you for encouraging me to try something new. When I first transferred to a public school my Sophomore year of high school, I had not taken any kind of formal art class. I had always loved crafts, drawing, painting, and writing. Creating was always a passion of mine.

I had been in Chorus at my previous school, so while I was signing up for classes during the summer before I started at my new school, the Guidance Counselor suggested that I continue on with Chorus. However, I noticed that there was an Art class available for that specific time slot, and I insisted on trying something new.

This was a 3D Art class, and I had absolutely no experience with it; just ideas trapped in my head. Once the school year started, I soon realized that Art was my calling, and you saw this too. You encouraged me to sign up for Advanced Placement Art the following year... and so I did.

Thank you for pushing me to grow as an artist and as a person. I soon began confiding in you some of my typical teenage struggles. You always had a kind and encouraging word to give, although you always would set me straight when I was wrong. You sparked a new thirst for knowledge of the world and artwork in me. Because of this, I was able to find my own style of artwork and later on, myself.

Thank you for challenging me. You always questioned my reasoning and my vision when it came to projects, and challenged me to explain myself. This showed me that knowing the purpose is important; be it in the art world, work world, or just life in general. You made me try things that I was afraid to try, and that helped me to blossom as an artist and creator.

Finally, thank you for being a role model and a listening ear. You always made sure that I was looked after, and you always had time to stay after class at the end of the day and listen to my problems. You helped me through my teen angst, family issues, and educational struggles. You always gave your time when you did not have to, to make sure that I was in a better place either scholastically or mentally.

You related to me in a way that no teacher had before, and you made sure to show that you cared about your students. The impact that you have had in my life, personally, has been a drastic one. You taught me that with every mistake, there is a lesson to learn and create a new masterpiece from.

Thank you, Mrs. Olencki!