Dear Teachers

Sarah Muir
MSM Class of 2018

(11/2014) The month of November is set aside for giving thanks for everything we have and to the people who have helped us become who we are. This time more than ever, we are grateful for what we have and are more generous in giving to those less fortunate. We celebrate with food, drink, and general merriment. It is a time during which we thank our family for taking care of us, and our friends for always being there through thick and thin. We look back on lessons learned and memories, and we are grateful for everything we went through. But this year I am taking time to thank those I have previously forgotten. My family has had an impact on who I have become; how could they not? So too have my friends, but the fine educators that have taught me along the way deserve the highest praise. It is because of you I am who I am today. So I write this is to you, the ones who imparted lessons that I will not be forgetting anytime soon and have left an imprint on my life in the best of ways.

First, I would like to thank the teachers at Visitation Academy; you all taught me that a little knowledge and confidence can open so many doors, ones that are full of new opportunities. Although my thanks goes to the Academy as a whole, there are some teachers to which I owe a special thanks: Mrs. Holcomb, my fifth grade teacher, for helping to create the next generation of women scientists. You showed that anyone can be anything they set their minds to and you gave them the tools to achieve it. Mrs. Kirby, my fourth grade teacher, for her unending patience and practical perfection, and for teaching us how a little kindness and perseverance can go a long way. Mrs. Castleman, my eighth-grade history teacher, thank you for imparting organization skills (via color coding) and teaching me how to properly write an essay. Mrs. Adams, thank you for imparting your love of God and helping to build a strong foundation of faith. Lastly, my biggest "thank you" goes to the Visitation Sisters. You have all made a lasting impression on the school community by leaving behind lessons of charity and faith that will last for years to come. Once again, thank you for empowering young girls and arming them with education and a strong faith, showing that anything can be achieved so long as you, "Be who you are and be that well" (Saint Francis de Sales).

My next thank you goes to Saint Maria Goretti High School. The teachers there not only helped me realize where my true passions lie, but also paved my way to the Mount. A special "thank you" goes to my English teacher, Mr. Cuthbert. You brought my love of literature to a new level and you are one of the best English teachers I ever had. Mr. McFarland, thank you for showing that art and beauty is everywhere and for proving that still waters run deep. Mr. Bell, thank you for being a wonderful math teacher (I do apologize, though, for not being the best student). All the teachers at St. Maria Goretti placed me on the path I am on now. They showed me my true potential and helped me to achieve it. The teachers there helped me discover who I was and who I wanted to become; and that led me here, to the Mount, where my future is slowly taking shape.

This brings me to Mount Saint Mary’s. First, I would like to say a "thank you" to the excellent professors here. Although it is only a few months into my freshman year, I am still eternally grateful. I thank them for their patience with "grown-up" college students and for preparing us for the real world. They help their students flourish and achieve their dreams. Through their passion for teaching they aid their students in determining a career path that would make them happy. I would also like to thank the Mount Saint Mary’s community as a whole for creating a family, one of which I am proud to be a part.

My final "thank you" extends to every teacher out there. To those considering it as a career path, teaching the world’s youth is one of the noblest things one can do. It takes patience, resilience, passion, and intelligence, and is too often overlooked. So, dear teachers, this is a thank you. Thank you for teaching everything from how to write our ABCs, to writing a dissertation. Thank you for the life lessons and advice, for the opened doors and the opportunities you have given. Thank you for our future. You raise doctors, writers, lawyers, actors, scientists, politicians, and, of course, teachers. You mold our youth and imprint on them everything you teach; you sculpt young minds and help them grow. You are role-models, heroes, and luminaries. Without you to light the way, our future would look dim. So let us raise a proverbial glass to the wonderful, awe-inspiring teachers that have shaped us and the ones currently molding our future. Here’s to you and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Read other articles by Sarah Muir