Being a sophomore in college means a few things. It means I'm still learning who I am, I'm not always sure what my next step will be, and I've encountered many, many educators.
Some math:
Pre-K to Fifth Grade I encountered 7 teachers.
Sixth Grade to Senior Year I had roughly 6 different teachers a day, so around 42 more - no wonder some names have been forgotten.
Last year to now, I've had 5 different professors a semester so a whopping 20 and I'm only halfway through. (This also doesn't include the teaching assistants or grad students who ran labs.
Thats almost 70 professors total through the last 16 years. Each one of them had something different to teach and another aspect of me to shape. Some of them did amazing things in the short window they had and I'd like to mention some of those today.
In third grade I had a teacher who taught me that not everyone will always be on your side. Although it seemed scary and harsh at the time, I learned how to prove I was right or worth the extra time, so for that thank you.
In fourth grade I had a teacher who taught me what it was to be responsible. It seems small now, but we took turns taking care of a class pet, which established what responsibility was in my young mind. For this, thank you.
In the years after Elementary school, teachers came and went, shaping little parts of me along the way, but a few more stick with me today.
For seven years I had three teachers that stuck. These three taught me how to be a musician, take responsibility for myself, and showed me the great rewards of teamwork. They led myself and over a hundred others to state championships and lifted some of the same group up when we thought we had failed. They taught us all that failure isn't the end and that winning isn't everything. It is the time and effort you put out that determines accomplishment and this changed the way I looked at failure, so thank you.
My sophomore year of high school I met a teacher who taught me that having spirit is important. She also possessed such a positive outlook on life, and that stayed with me. I learned that mistakes aren't permanent and paint covers paint, but it didn't apply only to art - it applied to life and whether or not she knows that I have no clue, but thank you.
Senior year I had an english professor who never gave up. I was in the honors class and struggling and my papers never seemed to be enough. This woman guided me and showed me ways to improve. She never gave up on me. It took a lot of effort, but I slowly turned my papers around. When she told me how proud she was I decided I would try my best on everything in life, no matter how frustrating the results were. If I kept trying I'd improve and I think today she'd be proud to see that it's working, so thank you.
Freshman year of college there were a thousand things happening and I found comfort in my english classroom where my teacher made us feel at home. She asked not about the weather or assignments, instead she asked about our days and how we were holding up. When things got dark in my life, I had a teacher to talk to who cared. The support she gave me on assignments and life saved me like a fresh breath of air, and for that thank you.
I still have two years to go and more teachers to meet, and I'm excited to see the different ways their influence will change me. I'm young and a little helpless at times, but I know they'll help to shape me, so (in advance) thank you too.