Inspiration. It is the basis of everything we do. Without inspiration, there is no motivation.
This has defined my senior year in a sense. I have found inspiration in my friends, in my church, in my family, and in my teachers. One in particular has changed not only my senior year but my high school experience as a whole.
I can remember walking into Intro to Newspaper the first day of my sophomore year completely intimidated. I specifically remember playing those awkward first-day-of-school get-to-know-you games, and this particular teacher sat on me. I knew then we would have a relationship that was unlike anything I was used to with a teacher.
As the semester progressed, I knew that this crazy teacher would have significant influence on my life.
My Intro to Newspaper class was quite the class. It consisted of only about a fourth of us who were actually interested in student publication. My future co-editor and I clung to each other, intimidated by every aspect of the class. As the semester progressed, I learned that I had a passion to tell people’s stories.
My teacher challenged us to “find the angle” and “search for the truth.” That was something so inspirational to me, that I had the power to tell someone’s story that otherwise would not have been able to be told.
I knew at the end of the semester that I wanted to be a part of the school newspaper.
I walked into newspaper the first day of my junior year far more confident and excited about what was ahead. I met my charismatic editor and we played more awkward first-day-of-school get-to-know-you-games, only this time no one sat on me and I was much more comfortable.
I loved my job as Susannah Burns’ assistant photo editor where she taught me the tips and tricks of shooting sports photography, namely football.
I bonded with every member of the staff and always looked forward to laughing until my face hurt and even the stress that came when it was time to go to print.
Through it all, Mrs. Sprague pushed me to write the hard stories, and in the middle of the year she asked me to step up into the position of Opinion’s Editor. I was so scared that I wouldn’t know what to do, how to work InDesign, and that I flat out wasn’t good enough.
She inspired me to do my best, and I won an award for my page design.
I knew how much this teacher meant to me, but I never dreamed what would be in store for me my senior year.
Tiffany and I became co-editors with big ambitions for the year.
Unfortunately, being an editor is not as glamourous or as easy as Karis made it seem the year before. Luckily we worked well together and began to work out the kinks with our loyal adviser by our sides.
Because of this, my staff won upwards of 30 awards at the state level. We are producing one of the most quality publications I have seen, though of course I am somewhat biased. I am so proud of the work my staff has done over the year, but I can’t imagine being the leader I am without everything that my adviser has done for me.
This teacher has had such an impact on my life. She has taken us on adventures all across the country. While going through the death of two grandparents in a three month period, it seemed like everything
I looked at my phone she texted me to check on me. The morning after the death of Micayla, she was the first phone call I received. She has challenged me in ways I never expected to be challenged. She has loved on me when I was unlovable and in the face of tragedy. She has made me a better leader and a better person.
I didn’t expect that a teacher whose first impression on me was sitting on me had such an impact on me. She has walked through my high school career and forever changed my life. I know I could never put into words what she has done for me. All I can say is, thank you Mrs. Sprague.