To the teacher who finally believed in me:
After hearing: "the potential is there, it's just not showing" from all of my teachers starting as early as first grade, having a teacher that saw potential in me changed my life. Second semester of my freshman year of high school, for the first time in my life, I had a teacher recognize my strengths instead of my "potential."
Day One: I was beyond sour about the fact that I was in a writing lab class because of my low test scores; I walked in with a negative attitude, I put no effort into the warm up, and I refused to say more than one word to anyone. I never would have expected the teacher of that class to be the only reason I was going to go to school for the next four years.
Half way through the first semester that I had you as a teacher, we were working on six word memoirs: we came up with six word memoirs and had to set it on top of a photo. During this project you came up behind me and said "This is really good, you should apply to be on the newspaper staff, you would do well in there." With the need for more extra curricular activities, I agreed. By the time I finished with my first semester with you as my teacher, I had improved in writing more than I ever thought I was capable of doing.
Newspaper became my favorite class of the day, even though it took me a really long time to get the hang of, it became my home. I felt safe in the newsroom, and I knew that you would help me with whatever it was I needed help with.
On my first day of junior year when anxiety got the best of me, I walked into your office with no emotion, and you immediately asked: "What is wrong?" After having you as a teacher for a year and a half, I was able to just start crying. Later in my junior year, when going to school became an occasional thing for me, you were the only teacher who did anything to make sure that I didn't fail out.
By the end of my junior year, I was facing not graduating on time and I knew that senior year was going to be an uphill battle. Looking back, I wouldn't have graduated if I didn't have that one teacher who believed in me; the one who reminded me every week that if I didn't keep my grades up, walking the stage wasn't going to be something I would get to do.
If I had a teacher who saw my potential and did everything they could to bring the potential to show earlier, I cannot imagine how far I could have gone. And If I never had that teacher at all, I would have never made it as far as I did.
To the teacher who believed in me: I am in college, I have a passion for photography and graphic design, I write weekly articles, and without you believing in me, none of that would have happened.
Now my younger sisters have you as a teacher, and I can't wait to see what you push them to accomplish.
Thank You.
