I am not planning to major in English, or Journalism, or Creative Writing. I’m a STEM girl through and through, intending to spend my life as a genetic researcher in a lab surrounded by vials and lab coats. So, it may be surprising that the person who has impacted me the most is my 11th grade English teacher: Ms. Tekotte.
Entering my junior year of high school, I was tired—overwhelmed with a hectic schedule of school, work, and sports. Taking an AP English class, I prepared for a semester of busywork and boredom. But, in Tekotte’s class, I found something different: a passion for connecting with others and a true understanding of the world around me. I found myself enjoying writing for the first time in years, all because she made it about the overarching impact of what we wrote rather than simply grammar or structure. I saw how people like authors impacted the world, and realized I could do the same throughout my life.
Tekotte was invested in my dreams as I was, encouraging me to expand my writing and communications skills, useful in any career. She recruited me to Newspaper the following term, and I was excited to write about the world and spend another year in her classroom. As the Features Editor, I had the opportunity to lead my own group of writers and report on anything and everything. I was stretched past my limits, made to lead my peers, reach out to total strangers for interviews, and insert myself into situations that made me uncomfortable. My communication skills and social confidence grew exponentially, all because of the push Tekotte provided.
What’s more, I’m not just a student to her; I’m a person. She’s offered writing and life advice, wrote recommendations for college applications, and proofread each of my essays so I could put my best foot forward. She cared about my well-being, urging me to rest after sleepless nights and reassuring me any deadline could be moved in favor of my health. With simple kindness, she inspired me—look at me now, writing about it—and I base myself after her. I want to make people feel as supported and capable as she has made me, whether they’re in my genetic research team or people I met on the street. I want my life to benefit others, and with Tekotte’s influence and the lessons she’s taught, I’m confident that I can do just that.
With Tekotte’s lessons ever-present in my mind, I can go into my future confident in my ability to communicate efficiently, navigate difficult situations, and benefit people with what I do. I don’t have to be afraid when pursuing my dreams in Genetics, able to assuredly present my authentic self to any interviewer. So, even as she proofreads this essay now, Ms. Tekotte is helping to launch me into my future. The lessons that she taught me will stay with me forever—paving my way to being a successful researcher and an even better person.