I have always been one to love school. It always came easily to me, something I have a lot of gratitude for. While I do think a lot of the reasons why school was so important to me was because of my parentsâ roles in my education, as well as those of my extended family, I cannot forget to mention the educators who made me passionate about learning.Â
I donât know how I could ever pick just one or even a couple teachers who impacted me the most. Every teacher had their own purpose and their own reasons why they affected me so much. For this article, I only want to mention those I knew during my early teenage years in middle and high school.Â
Mrs. Becker
Mrs. Becker and I go all the way back to kindergarten. Her daughter and I became friends at a very young age, which meant that by the time I reached her âinto to Spanishâ course in seventh grade, we were well acquainted.Â
She instilled in me a love for Spanish that runs so deep that I now hold a Spanish minor. Her continued efforts to ensure that her students were growing every day taught me to stay consistent with the language and one day itâll click.Â
She continues to be the teacher I miss so greatly and wish I could learn from again. Her Spanish class challenged me in so many ways and taught me how to dedicate my time to something I wanted to grow in.Â
Mr. LeBaron
The reason why I made it through senior year successfully was because of Mr. LeBaron. He is a man of many roles, both at school and at home. He and I met unofficially when I was in sixth grade and he brought me to detention because I was roaming the halls of the high school after jazz band rehearsal. (I know, what a way to sit in the chairs of shame!)Â
He and I met for a class when I was in eighth grade, on the fateful day where I screamed in fear as he killed a bug in his classroom. We were properly introduced on that day where I broke the ice.Â
He was my teacher for Earth Science, Natural Disasters and AP Environmental Science as well as being my primary tutor for chemistry and the advisor of my senior class. Like I said, he wears many hats.Â
Mr. LeBaron was by my side whenever I needed a hug or someone to rant to. He never turned me away, whether I had an unbearable amount of questions about the college application process or when I needed some of his famous white chili or buffalo wing dip, he was always there.Â
Mrs. Tonelli
Mrs. Tonelli was the first teacher I had that I felt like I could share many of the greatest parts of my personality with. She was not only a mentor to me in writing as my ninth and tenth grade English teacher, but was also my junior year womenâs studies teacher and helped me to develop opinions and share them openly.Â
She and I still communicate on a regular basis, mostly about books and how my college experience is going, and I donât think sheâll ever quite understand how much this means to me. She taught me that itâs okay to be a messy human even if you look put-together.Â
Her ability to push students was never lost on me. I felt like I always had to work a little bit harder whenever I had a written piece for her classes. She gave me patience to become a stronger and more developed writer. She also gave me hope that I will never stop learning. I hope that she knows just how many times I mention her name in a week or the number of books that are on my TBR because of her.Â
Mr. Geblein
The man, the myth, the legend, Jeff Geblein. Mr. Geblein was my band teacher from fourth grade until his retirement in 2018 (my 7th grade year). He influenced hundreds of students from the â80s until his retirement, and I donât think any of us could ever stop thanking him for his commitment to all of us.Â
He taught me how to play the trumpet in fourth grade and didnât give up on me when I decided to quit band after only one year. Well, there was something that called me back to play in his band again as a clarinet player in January of fifth grade. I went on to all-county in the spring of that same year, proof of his promise of success to his students. He had a phrase in every practice room to not practice until youâre perfect, but rather to practice until you canât get it wrong. Every so often, I think about this quote and how much it meant to him.Â
He was a perfect example of living with a plan to keep growing. Even as he neared retirement, he didnât slow down. He wanted to soak in every moment he could with the people who filled his cup the most.Â
Honorable Mentions:
Mrs. Marvin, Miss Marsh, Mr. Langworthy, Mr. Kordon and so many more!
I wouldnât be close to where I am today without these incredible educators. Every single one played a major role in the reasons why I love to learn and why I am so motivated to do well. These teachers taught me to have patience and, in time, I will know more and be able to share it with others.