Since the ninth grade and maybe even before, I remember deciding on becoming a teacher.

Throughout my high school year, I chose to pursue a career as a special education teacher. I knew that I wanted to work with special needs children for a long time, but didn't know the path I should take. I chose special education because I found that my gift was communicating with and standing up for those who couldn’t, for whatever reason.

At the close end of my junior year I began to stress over the teacher cadet application and interview. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher cadet because it would be a huge advantage to have a background in the teaching world. A few weeks later, I got the news that I was indeed chosen to be a teacher cadet at Gaffney High School for my senior year. I was so beyond excited for this journey and the opportunity I was given.

Huge thank you to those that pushed me and supported me through the whole process. Just days after receiving the news about being a teacher cadet, we had a ceremony for the new cadets. It was bittersweet because of George Duncan, a huge support system for me was no longer over the teacher cadet program. I was extremely saddened and didn’t know how to respond to the news. Throughout my 3 years prior to senior year, he had always been the teacher and it was disheartening to learn he wouldn’t be mine. Through the summer, I worried about who would be running the program for my senior year.

Luckily, I was blessed with Mrs. Stephanie Ooley who took over the program. At that point, I was ecstatic for the upcoming year. Mrs. Ooley is a blessing and there is no way to thank her for everything she did for me my senior year. There will never be another teacher that touched my heart the way she did.

Thank you for believing in me.

For whatever reason, you believed in me when I was impossible. I rarely believed that I was good enough to be a teacher, much less one that teaches special education. You made me feel like I was worth more than I made myself out to be. You constantly “filled my pot” with uplifting words of advice that I will continue to use every day.

Thank you for being a friend, not just an instructor.

You became my teacher my junior year and we never got close that year. I sometimes regret not becoming closer to you sooner. At the beginning of senior year, I knew that it was going to be an amazing year because I had another chance to connect with you. There were times during senior year that I didn’t have anyone except you and that made all the difference in the world. Even when I was stubborn and made bad choices, you continued to support me and pushed me to succeed.

Thank you for “filling my pot.”

As said before, you filled my pot. At the beginning of the year, we received flower pots and we were told to decorate them. Through the year, there were words of encouragement added to them to support and help us grow. I always knew that I could look at that flower pot on my worst of days and no longer feel like dirt on the floor.

Thank you for breaking us.

Never have I cried with my teacher before, but now I can say I have, more than once. You made us open and make us vulnerable to our classmates. But even though we were vulnerable, no one made fun of us because that was the rule. We could tell our worst fears, biggest secrets, or anything in between.

Mrs. Ooley, you made the biggest difference in my life. I know that I am great from my “SIG” folder. On move in day at Lander, I placed that folder in my desk drawer so that it is accessible whenever needed. You changed my outlook on college when I wanted to go home. Not that I don’t still, but I am doing better because you continuously pour love into my life. This is for you. You are worth more than an article on Odyssey, but this is all I can do right now. You will forever hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for giving me the world in your classroom.