"Simply put, the best teachers believe that learning involves both personal and intellectual development and that neither the ability to think nor the qualities of being a mature human are immutable. People can change, and those changes-- not just the accumulation of information-- represent true learning." -Ken Bain, What the Best College Teachers Do

While I'm only a sophomore, my life has already been impacted by some incredible professors. At my school, Hannibal-LaGrange University, there are 63+ professors who all have various roles to serve the university and her students. More often than not, the things these teachers do to impact the lives of their students are overlooked by the tests they give and the homework they assign. However, our college professors do so much more for us, their students, than we realize. That's why this letter is, simply put, to thank them for everything.

Dear Professor:

Thank you for praying for us before class, and offering to pray for us anytime we need it. Thank you for staying past your office hours and coming early for class to help me understand the things that I just didn't quite get. Thank you for rereading and editing my paper all twenty times that my perfectionist self decided to change it, even when you said it was perfect. Thank you for replying to my stress-induced 2 a.m. emails of panic with the calming reassurance that I was doing well in your class, and that I understood everything better than I thought. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't. Thank you for caring about me as a person, and not treating me as "just another student" in your 8 a.m. lecture.

Now, I'm not the only one who wants to say thank you. So, here are a few messages from some other students who have something to say:

"Dear Professor, thank you for all you do for me, the university, and the Kingdom." -Keith S.

"Dear Professor, thank you for investing in my life both in and out of class." -Anna B.

"Dear Professor, thank you for thinking of me as a student and not as a number." -Emilee P.

"Dear Professor: Thanks for helping me outside the classroom on your own time on both my studies and my walk with Christ." -Philip S.

"Dear Professor, thanks for always believing in me and my dreams-- even when I doubt them myself." -Amanda W.

"Dear Professor: thank you for offering me so many opportunities to grow and learn and for caring enough to consider my feelings and preferences in those opportunities." -Carrie W.

"Dear Professor, thank you for always giving me life advice, even when it doesn't pertain to class." -Steven H.

"Dear Professor, thank you for always seeing the best in me, and for helping me to see my potential. You inspire me to do better!" -Ashley H.

"Dear Professor, thanks for always being willing to teach me new things and praying for me. Thank you for being Christ-centered and wanting to help me learn how to trust God more every day." -Sydney W.

"Dear Professor: thank you for everything that you do for this campus and for me. You always know how to keep my spirits high, and I know that you are someone I can always come to in a time of need." -Matthew S.

"Dear Professor, thanks for waking me up in class, and for always taking my concerns seriously. Thank you for the bunny trails and jokes that keep my mind engaged, and thank you for making college worth it in the midst of chaos." -Nick M.