High school is never easy. Believe me, trying to balance good grades, sports, clubs, friends, family, Netflix, and boys is a skill I have yet to master. To say I was a stubborn student would be quite the understatement. From occasionally skipping my first period class to always turning my assignments in three days late, I didn’t make it easy for the people around me to offer support and guidance through my final years of high school. Thankfully, I had a teacher who taught me not only about iambic pentameter and annotated bibliographies, but also showed me just how important my words are to this world. There is no possible way to string together words that can explain just how much you’ve changed me, but I’ll give it a try:

To you, I was just another senior trying to get the hell out of the halls I grew up in. But you were so much more than a teacher to me. Don’t get me wrong, I was blessed to be a student in one of your classes. Nine months of your knowledge and insight taught me that I never want to stop learning, stop growing, or stop writing. But even with all of the beautiful things you jam packed into a forty-four minute block, outside of the classroom is where you taught me the most.

I didn’t know I needed you. I didn’t know that a “twenty-something” teacher would be able to reach down into the deepest parts of me and find things no one else could. Whether it was thirteenth period and I was bored in math class or a lengthy email at 10:30 at night, you were always willing to listen to anything and everything that I had to say. From talking about books and boys to uncovering stories I couldn’t find the strength to tell, you never let me walk down an unfamiliar path alone. Although I loved going on feminist rants, my favorite thing to do with you was sit in silence. You knew exactly what I was saying without me even opening my mouth, and I am incredibly grateful for that. Together, we traced our fingers across unknown roads on maps that I never dreamed of exploring. With your help, I can proudly say that I am leaving my fingerprint on this world. Right now, I am exactly where I am supposed to be... and it’s because I knew you.

Most importantly, along with teaching me… you let me teach myself. There were times you gave me exactly what I deserved, which consisted of you watching me struggle to figure things out all on my own. I learned that the storms I bring on are only as strong as I make them, so I might as well jump in the puddles and dance in the rain. I will never forget the last time I walked out of your classroom, because those four walls watched me grow into the woman I am today.

It wouldn’t be right to end this without thanking you for everything you have given me. Thank you for letting me express exactly who I am. Thank you for believing in the person I want to become. Thank you for teaching me that there is no mountain that I cannot climb. Thank you for letting that room be a space to create and think and learn and grow. Thank you for teaching me that even though I am so small, this world will never stop needing my unconditional love. Thank you for not fixing me, but holding my hand while I fixed myself. Thank you for teaching me that people are allowed to not want me anymore. Thank you for showing me that I am more than “pretty” and “kind” but also fierce, intelligent, and worthy of love. Thank you for introducing me to my favorite book. Thank you for staying three hours after school just so I could finish the essay that was due two weeks before. Thank you for teaching me that I am allowed to be a masterpiece and a work in progress, simultaneously. Thank you for pushing me way out of my comfort zone and into the sunlight. Thank you for understanding that sometimes I’d rather write about this world than live in it. But most of all, thank you for believing in me when I couldn’t even do it myself. I owe you the world.

All My Love,