An Open Letter to my High School Teachers:

Let me start out by saying thank you. And I don’t mean for the A I got on my midterm or for engraving into my brain that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. Thank you for everything else you did to help shape the person I am today.

I went to a high school that prides itself on diversity and educational excellence. According to US News, we are ranked ninth for best high schools in the state of Michigan. Nationally, we are 511^th out of over 21,000 public schools. We have an 83 percent in English proficiency and a 98 percent graduation rate. We have a 100.2 state test performance index and an 87 percent pass rate on Advanced Placement (AP) testing.

Except, these statistics are not what I’m thanking you for, because here’s what really matters.

We have clubs that matter. We have relationships that last forever. We have a 19:1 student to teacher ratio, which felt more like 1:1 because there was never a day that went by where I didn’t have a direct one on one conversation with a teacher.

We have kids that feel like they matter. Because of you. We can do anything after graduating. There is no glass ceiling tall enough; we will shatter it.

We have respect. We have inclusion. We have acceptance, brilliance, tolerance, and guidance.

We have you: teachers that care. Teachers who want to see us succeed not only in our academic career, but in every other aspect of our lives. You go out of your way to care for our mental health as well as our physical health.

Now in my third year of college, I still talk to my high school teachers on a regular basis. Some I babysit for, some I text, some I go to lunch with, and some I email asking about a homework assignment I have due in my college classes. They email me back immediately, and they help walk me through it on their own time. They aren’t getting paid to do that. They want to. They are more than just teachers. They are role models to me forever.

I don’t think there will ever be enough words to express just how grateful I am to have grown up in a community where all of this was made possible. I was lucky enough to grow up in a community that had access to things like smart boards, iPad's and computers. We had AP classes and healthy alternative lunch options. We had art classes and extracurricular programs. We were lucky enough to grow up with these royalties that some do not.

Our greatest royalty? Teachers who care. Human beings who go out of their way to make a difference to kids like me. And let it be known that our high school is not the only one with people like this. So thank you to all the teachers. The elementary school, middle school, and high school teachers all around the world. Thank you for showing kids like me what it looks like to succeed.

And for teaching me that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. I’ll never forget that. Or you.

Sincerely,

Amanda McCafferty