Everybody has that one teacher… You know the one… The one whose room houses season after season of episodic memories. The one you have so many inside jokes with that you can speak English and it still be considered a different language. The one who has, more than once gone out of their way for you on one of your bad days. The one that you'd do anything in the world for.

You know... that one teacher who's made such an impact on you and your classmates? Well, this article is for mine.,

This one's for the woman who accepted less pay just for the opportunity to teach us. This one's for the woman who took us in as her own children and never held back in giving us sound advice. This one's for a year full of memories I'll never forget with some of the most amazing people I've ever met in my life.

For every child, going to school each day is one of two things; a prison that forces you to wake up horrifyingly early and abide by strict dress codes, or an escape from the harshness of a reality experienced too soon. But, going to school everyday is so much more than just getting up early or attempting to escape reality. It's actually more than getting an education really. It's building lasting relationships and learning how to use your strengths to help you, as well as others, in your life. In today's society, school has the potential to make or break who you're becoming. The people you surround yourself with could be the portrait of your future.

So... with that being said...

Dear favorite teacher,

Thank you. Thank you so incredibly much. Thank you for being the difference in a system of uniformity. Thank you for being a joy-filled light to your students on grounds that encourage ignoring the infectious epidemic of darkness that has broken out in this community. Thank you for showing us that it's okay to hurt sometimes, and when you do, that it's totally okay to put your earbuds in and rock out to Breaking Benjamin and Blink 182 while eating your weight in chocolate.

Life isn't easy, and it certainly isn't fair, and a lot of times... school just adds to the stress of the hard times, but teachers like you... Teachers like you are the difference between schools that feel like prisons and schools that feel like safe havens.

And that's praise worthy. The impact you've made is endless. The things you've taught us are priceless; lifesaving. Whether that means properly placing a c-spine and discerning when the proper time to black tag and move on is, or the vitality in endless inside jokes that are nowhere near politically correct. I am eternally grateful for you and the things you've taught me in such a short amount of time. I am endlessly thankful for the goofy looks and random weird staring contests across the lunchroom. Thank you for pouring your heart and soul into us. Thank you for not only being a teacher, but also a light... and a fantastic BFF to share all of my stories with. Thank you for opening your classroom to us at all times.

So here's to all of the unique memories of gag-worthy medical videos before lunch, Lynette from Pizza Hut who apparently can't make us pizza, ransacking your playlists on Blood Drive days, and laughing so hard we could've been mistaken for having seizures... and also for convincing all of the kids that you were actually buying flavored window tint (on weal wittle baby God...). Thanks for providing me with a snapchat sticker for any and every possible occasion. It's been an amazing year with you KB!

All of my love,

- Haleigh (Shade) Bright/ Esoph-a-gee