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My “important influence” was Mrs. Thompson. I will never forget her, and I will always be in her debt. She was very much a “realist” in her methods but an “idealist” in her effects.

Mrs. Thompson was the “mean” teacher who taught the advanced English classes at Corona del Mar High School when I was there in the mid-1980s. Actually, she was more “hard” than “mean,” but I remembered she was older and very much a veteran teacher. She was all business and I don’t remember her ever smiling very much. She taught the advanced classes (although I was not in one of them with her) and much of that obviously bled into her lower level classes. One immediately understood that Mrs. Thompson was not your friend, your parent, your babysitter, or your confidante. She was the teacher, and her job was to teach you to read and write. I remember her at times being social with the class, but she was a serious lady who was almost always all business.

Mrs. Thompson was my 11th grade American literature teacher. We would read a book, discuss the themes and conflicts, work on the vocabulary, and other common “English-teacher stuff.” None of that was terribly difficult, or even terribly interesting. We read Moby Dick, “Death of a Salesman,” A Farewell to Arms, “The Bear,” The Great Gatsby, etc. The books themselves were awesome, and just having the opportunity to read them mad the class worth the price of admittance. Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book?” Indeed!

But what I most remember about and most benefited from in Mrs. Thompson’s course were in the in class essays. At the end of a month or so reading some famous book she would drop an essay prompt on your desk and announce that she would collect our answers in 50 minutes. The entire class held its breath in terror as she passed out the essay prompt, and the stress and pressure when I first read the essay question was extreme. “Oh my God, what kind of impossible question is she going to ask now?” The questions were probing and difficult, and there always hid in the back of one’s mind the possibility that one would not be able to answer it. I would read the essay question and my mind would race back to the book, and I would sweat blood to conceive what might be my answer to the question.

I would sometimes spend up to 15 minutes just thinking and making notes to myself while those around me scribbled page after page of one paragraph blurring into another. The classroom was deathly silent, with the only sound the scratching of pen on paper. I would jot a sentence or two down to myself, and then revise a bit from there. You could have put a gun to my head and probably I would not have noticed. Finally, nearing the halfway mark for the essay I would have my “thesis” – my full answer to the essay prompt boiled down to one strong sentence.

One would think I would be almost panicked, as I had hardly written anything down and time was running out fast! But at this point I actually relaxed, knowing success was at hand: I knew what the answer was. I had the answer in my mind to the prompt and could justify it with evidence from the text. The next twenty-five minutes I would write furiously down in words what was already in my mind. I was writing as quickly as I could but I was relaxed. I had a roadmap of where I was going in my mind, and I knew where I was going. Game over.

I don’t think I ever thought harder in high school than I did during the first portion of those in class essays, when I strove to develop an answer to Mrs. Thompson’s dreaded essay questions. The first five minutes or so were always the worst! But even worse than that were the moments just before she passed out the prompts, as we students sat there in terror waiting. But how I learned to love the intense challenge of those writing jousts, where I was pushed to the very limit and challenged in a way no teacher had ever challenged me before. I would be challenged this way routinely in college. I was ready.

I learned everything I needed to know about how to write an expository essay in Mrs. Thompson’s class. Later in college, on job applications, for teacher qualification exams, in graduate school, to show my own students, I would write many, many more of these essays and I never found them overwhelming or impossible. Read the prompt carefully, develop a clear answer, garner supporting evidence, watch the clock carefully, and write as elegantly, incisively, and quickly as possible. Simple! I walked out of Mrs. Thompson class in June of 1984 with those skills. I owe her for having had only the highest expectations for my writing and challenging me to do nothing less than college-level work. Indeed she put the bar up high, where it belonged. Time and time again I would be challenged to prove or explain myself in writing. I was prepared.

In retrospect, Mrs. Thompson taught me more how to think than how to write, as the one is inextricably linked to the other. In expecting nothing less than my best writing and reasoning, she helped me to make breakthroughs in my thinking. If her expectations had been lower, if she had not put me in a “do or die” situation, if she had developed a less challenging curriculum, I might not have made those breakthroughs. As a high school junior, she gave me what I needed.

Mrs. Thompson was a realist in her practices, but her ministrations were idealist, unbeknownst to her. She was a realist in that she clearly laid out her units of study, directly taught the literature and led discussions, and authored difficult prompts that tested a student’s knowledge of the literature and ability to analyze and explain. She was a veteran teacher who had thought out her curriculum over decades, and the Advanced Placement experience helped her always to design and deliver challenging yet fair writing prompts; all this I see clearly thirty years later, as an AP English teacher myself now. Mrs. Thompson did not wax eloquent on the beauty of literature or expound on the transformative nature of writing. She was all business as a teacher. Mrs. Thompson did not plead with us to do our best, but she would unceremoniously flunk us if we did not. We all knew that.

There was the novel; this is what you want to look out for; there is the final assessment in an essay question; here is your grade for this unit. Mrs. Thompson was a very “traditional” teacher - a “realist.” The essays she demanded we write had to be paragons of a reasonably proposed message, supported by an orderly procession of supporting evidence and analysis. Sloppiness in grammar, mediocrity in diction, and laziness of thought would not be tolerated. Mrs. Thompson knew what would be required of us in college in terms of expository prose; she provided opportunities to learn what would be needed in the future for us in the real world. If I learned how to write and explain in her class, more importantly I learned how to reason and think. In real life, these were lifelong skills.

Mrs. Thompson was also an idealist in her effects on me. Through her class, I was able to gain a vision of what it really meant to be the educated person I might want to become as an adult. I discovered that the harder the class, the more I would try in it; my best grades have always been in the most challenging classes that stretched me, my worst in the easiest ones I found to be a waste of time. If excited by an intense teacher and challenged by a scope of study, wild horses could not stop me. If bored and unchallenged, I would look into the teacher’s eyes stubbornly and do nothing. Mrs. Thompson had much to do with how ideally I came to view what an education should be. She lit some of my enthusiasm for learning, and later, for teaching.

If I am in many ways a dissimilar English teacher to Mrs. Thompson, I similarly hope to give students the tools they need to survive the challenges of post-high school life. In occasionally accepting an award or gift from students at the end of the year, I routinely give them this benediction:

“I hope that no matter how hard you may find some professor in college, that you will never find one who is so hard that your high school writing preparation can be found unsatisfactory. Go forth and do great things! You are ready!”

I owe much to Mrs. Thompson, and I try to repay that debt to my own students almost daily.

Mrs. Thompson passed away before I could thank her properly or tell her I too had become an AP English teacher, but it matters not – the story continues, and I carry on where she stopped. Certainly some of my students one day will go on to become teachers, and so I will have played my small part in the drama. Such is how one generation learns from the next in the march of humanity, as Socrates taught Plato who taught Aristotle on down to our own times - civilization communicating itself from the past to the present to the future. As author Will Durant proclaimed: "We announce the prologue, and retire; after us better players will come.”

Non schola sed vita decimos!

Our lives are full of many influences. Among the most influential are environmental influences that range from our parents to those we meet along the way. As a future educator, I was fortunate enough to be in the company of an exceptional junior high school teacher. His name was Mr. O’Rourke. His love of prose, poetry and all forms of literature was the catalyst to my love for reading and discovery.

Mr. O’Rourke was not typical of teachers in my elementary school. He brooked no nonsense, but was very warm and idealistic. While his approach was more in the vein of realism, his goals were idealistic. I think he realized that at the age we were at, we might not be as profoundly moved as someone of maturity. His idea of present the material and expose them to it was right on. Some of those students may have moved on and never thought of those poems or other literary works again, but some of us did. And that is probably all we can hope for as teachers. I vacillated between marginal terror and pleasure at having to recite to the classroom of my peers. This group’s membership consisted of a few playground bullies and intimidating girls I learned not only the verse, but came to the realization that I could survive the experience. It paid off in my freshman year of college when I strolled away with an “A” in my speech class.

He had an amazing class library and I read every single volume of the Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene. I remember coming across a description of Nancy as a vibrant, “titian” haired young woman. I had no idea what titian haired was, so I looked it up. It meant essentially that she had red hair. It is a perfect example of how reading builds vocabulary. Titian is not a word I probably would have stumbled upon in my everyday existence. Mr. O’Rourke’s words were indeed true. Reading taught me many things. It broadened my horizons and engaged my imagination. I would disappear in my room, snacks underarm and not reappear until dinner.

My biggest concern is that I won’t be able to reach every student. Mr. O’Rourke showed me that even the playground bully can be tamed for a three minute rendition of “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. He may not remember it 20 years later verbatim, but maybe that round on Jeopardy that asks, name the famed author of the poem “Trees”might rekindled a memory. Mr. O’Rourke could turn crimson and sputter with frustration, but I think it was based more on his need to send us off with something tangible. I remember a lesson in spelling where he told us if we forgot how to spell the word beginning, just remember: beg for one more inning. We would never forget that it took two “n’s”. I would beg for one more day in his presence if it were possible, just to tell him that he was a great teacher and made a difference. I can only hope I hear those words one day as a teacher myself.

My current boss, Gloria Benway has been very influential to me. When I first started working with her I was only 21 years old. I was very immature and had know idea of the business world. Before I was hired in Human Resources, I worked as a Teller for less than a year. I would help members (customers) with cashing their checks, depositing them and so on. I debated even applying for the job as the Human Resources Assistant. I knew nothing about Human Resources. I just thought it sounded interesting.
When I was offered the job, I was in shock because I had no experience with Human Resources. I was also nervous about working in the Administration Office. I accepted the promotion. Now it has been over 5 years and I have learned a great deal from Gloria. She is an idealist in how she deals with people. She can be having the worst day and still answer the phone with a smile. I’ve learned from her that you just need to take a deep breath and give that person on the phone a friendly voice to be able to talk to.
In Human Resources we deal with a lot of situations that aren’t all that positive, but I have learned to keep a positive attitude. We don’t deal with the public like I did when I was a Teller, but Gloria has taught me that our staff members are our customers. We must treat our staff like we would want to be treated.
Gloria is a realist in that she confronts a problem and dissects it. I used to be afraid of dealing with things like Worker’s Compensation. I’ve learned from Gloria that you just have to take it one step at a time. We have to find out what happened and deal with the problem.
Being in Human Resources, we are in charge of safety. Almost 2 years ago, Gloria had an accident during work and had to file a Worker’s Compensation claim herself. Of course, there were ways that she could’ve avoided the accident. However, she didn’t follow her own safety rules. I’ve learned a lot from this situation. We must abide by safety rules ourselves.
With Gloria being out of work for an extended amount of time, I had to cover the department alone. It was a bit nerve racking at first because I’d never covered the department alone for more than a week while Gloria would go on vacation. This extended time while she was on leave gave me an opportunity to be versatile and flexible. I had to learn how to organize my projects and do what needed to get done and put aside what could wait.
Now that I’m working on becoming a teacher, I can bring with me, the patience and positive attitude that Gloria has taught me in dealing with students, parents, fellow teachers and administrators. I can also bring with me the skills to be able to deal with any negative situation one step at a time. I feel I am also more versatile, flexible and confident in situations outside of our control.

Throughout my life school has always felt like a job or chore to me. Something you really didn’t want to do but had to. Kind of like taking medicine it tastes awful but is good for you. Once I arrived at school it wasn’t so bad. The best part of the day was recess, lunch, and going home. Year after year it was the same thing, new grade, new teacher, new work and on occasion new friends. I was the type of kid counting the hours, seconds down waiting anxiously for the three o’ clock bell to ring. Even though school was easy for me and I always maintained good grades, I was extremely bored. It was really hard for me to sit in a chair for hours and hours listening to some talk about stuff I really didn’t care about. It was as if every teacher I ever had graduated from to the same school as the teacher from Charlie Brown.

During the sixth grade something remarkable happened. For the first time in I could hear and understand my teacher. Her name was Mrs. Rand and she was a Lang. Arts and Math teacher. Little did I know then but she would inspire me to become a teacher. Mrs. Rand was a realist when it came to academics however; she was an idealist when dealing with the student’s individual needs. She always expected her students to try and taught them to never give up. She would tell the class, “Any thing that is worth having comes from working hard.” on a daily basis.

There were many things I loved and learned from being in her class. For example, she was always patient and kind to her students, even the bullies. Her classroom door was always open. If you ever had a problem you knew she could fix it. My classroom was a loving safe place for me to learn. It was bright, cheerful and had things to do everywhere. The appearance of the classroom and Mrs. Rand’s positive outlook and enthusiastic teaching style made students want to learn. The first time I laid eyes on the classroom, I knew that this year was going to be the last time I would spend six long hours in a chair squirming around waiting for a bell of any kind to ring. Well, maybe not the last time but surly for the next nine months. I remember thinking to myself we’re actually going to have fun this year.

Students never felt dumb in Mrs. Rand’s class. There were no labels such as geek, stupid, and jocks. Everyone was treated like equals. Mrs. Rand would teach the lesson in many different ways. She knew and understood that not all students learn or process information in the same way. This was the first year that I was not afraid to ask a question or to read out loud. Mrs. Rand always encouraged her students to ask questions. I can still hear her saying to the class, “There are no dumb questions. If you never ask you’ll never know.” She also helped us to prepare for the outside world. She taught us life skills and real life events. After winter break I couldn’t wait to see Mrs. Rand and to go back to school. It was then that I knew I wanted to become a teacher like Mrs. Rand. My parents couldn’t believe the fact that I wanted to go to school and not because I liked a boy. My mom almost fainted the first time I ask if I could stay after school to do my homework without having received a detention slip.

That was the best year I ever had in my academic career and after twenty years I still remember it as though it were yesterday. Mrs. Rand has truly inspired me to become a teacher. She has giving me the passion and motivation to teach. I realized that learning can be fun and not boring. You don’t have to sit in chair all day long to learn. I was extremely fortunate to be hired by Mrs. Rand six years ago as a Teacher’s Aide. She has guided and taught me the true meaning of being a mentor and what makes a great teacher.

Being a college student, I have met countless influential people in my life. Many have made an impact in my life but there is one individual in particular that has continuously stood out to me. This person continues to influence my life day after day. This special person is my mother.

My mother, Christine, is just like any other mother. She is warm, patient, loving, caring, and most importantly understanding. She took care of me when I was younger, as well as continuing to watch over me, as I am an adult now. I remember when I was younger she would always baby-sit for the family. I would see how caring she was to her nieces and nephews. She would make them feel comfortable and fearless when their parents left them with her. I wanted to be a mother just like her. I grew up with small children around me, so as I got older I knew I wanted to work with children. Having the love for children gave me an opportunity in 6th grade to help assist in a Kindergarten class. I loved going to school and waiting for that hour to approach when it was time for me to help assist. Since that momentous experience, I knew I wanted to become a teacher.

Christine has always been there to help me even though she does not realize it. I was a young teenage mother nearly done with high school and did not know what I was going to do with my life. Given that she never continued her education following high school because she got married and had children, she has always influenced me to continue my education. She told me to search my soul and ask myself what I enjoyed doing. She also told me that by going to school, I would have to make sacrifices such as being away from my family to attend school, do homework and study. She has told me numerous times that achievement is hard to gain but success is worth the sacrifice.

Christine is a realist. She has never made me believe that life was going to be perfect. She taught me that my life would be whatever I wanted it to be based on the path I chose. She explained to me that it would not be easy and not to give up. She has always been honest about things. I believe this was the most important influence my mother could have given me because it prepared me for my future. It prepared me so I would not fail at what is most important in my life which is to become a teacher.

I attended catholic school for most of my education. I came across my share of diverse teaching methods. By the time I came across Sister Mary Francis in the 7th grade I was pretty much hating school. I was teased because my family was not wealthy, I had buck teeth, wore glasses and I was over weight. Sister Mary Francis helped to change my outlook on life and how I felt about myself. She was the first Nun I had ever met who didn’t wear a habit. She was young and very hip…well, hip for a NUN!

I am the eldest of three. My mother was a single mom raising us on her own. My sister and I attended Santa Clara Elementary School in Oxnard, Ca. My brother attended public school and was in the GATE Program. I was never known as the pretty or smart one. I was creative and artistic. I did however, have low self-esteem. Attending a school with well off children didn’t help my problem. I always felt lower than my peers because I didn’t have the house or car. I just came to believe that that was the way it was going to be. FOREVER.

Thank god for the 7th grade. I know that junior high is hell for most people but it was my time to shine. I had the greatest teacher ever…Sister Mary Francis. I also got braces and things started changing for me. Sister was cool. She was strict but fair and wore crazy clothes. She wasn’t an attractive woman but her wit and knowledge about everything made others like her. She took a liking to me, paid me extra attention. I think she saw that I had things in common with her. She taught my that you don’t have to be popular or beautiful to have people be interested in you, just be interesting.

Sister Mary Francis was a mentor to me at a young age. I wanted to be the cool young teacher. She was a friend but you knew when to stop messing around and get to work. She understood pre-teens and their attitudes. She understood their need for independence. In these ways I feel she was a realist in an idealist setting. She was not popular among the rest of the teaching staff because she was “new school“. Sister came in with new ideas and ways of teaching. Suffice to say, she didn’t stay at SCES very long.

I thank Sister Mary Francis for her support and how she made me feel special, and how she made all those around her feel special. That’s the kind of teacher I want to be.

“I will not tolerate your awful behavior in my classroom!” Mr. Tonello exclaimed to a disruptive student. Mr. Tonello was a firm and demanding instructor, but he was also a fair person. He did not want any distractions during his World History class lecture. I admired him for being so knowledgeable about so many distinct cultures. He inspired me to read history books, magazines and to be well-informed about current world events. Every day I would look forward to attending his class and hear tales of distant and mysterious lands. His ability to expand my curiosity of world events made Mr. Tonello one of the most influential persons in my life.

As he was lecturing, I would open my text and view photographs of castles, cathedrals, battlefields or exquisite pieces of art and let my imagination run free. Naturally, the photographs were not sufficient for me, I had to travel to these interesting places and experience them for myself. I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to these territories, that in the past, I could only view in movies or photographs or in movies.

Mr. Tonello’s philosophy on instruction was of a realist. His interest was only about the facts. Dates, names and places of interest were the only concern he had when lecturing. Nevertheless, his commanding presence and animated mannerisms captivated all of my attention.

He introduced me to the Ottoman Empire, Roman Emperors and Napoleon. Each day I strive to learn more about history and never seem to be amazed of how much there is to learn. When I view pictures of myself in a country far away, I can see how much Mr. Tonello has changed my life.

I had a teacher in Mexico that inspires me to look forward, her name was Yolanda. I went to the same elementary school from first to sixth grade. I don’t know if she is still teaching today. In the time I spent in her class I came to the conclusion that she was a realist. She would always say she was there to teach and the students were there to learn. She made us realize that we were capable of thinking, organizing our thoughts and set goals for ourselves and our future.

She was a role model to me as a young girl because she was a great example of a successful and strong woman. In Mexico, it was common in the culture for women to simply become housewives. Many women had to deal with the household and family duties. Men were seen as the ones who were supposed to work and support the family financially. It was common for men to have careers and to be more successful than women. Nowadays things are different because there are women that have fought for equal rights, opportunities and justice for women.

Yolanda was a strict teacher in a positive way. In class we could only talk if we raised our hands. If we did not raise our hands we had a “time out”. She would usually sit us in a corner of the classroom. She was intelligent and a strong woman, but was able to make herself understood and offered help her students. She made it clear that as the teacher she there to teach us the best way she could. If we did not understand a particular subject or area of study she would explain it until we understood. She did not mind explaining it to us because she was there to educate and no matter how long it took or what effort it took, we were going to learn and understand. Through this example she demonstrated that she was also worthy of admiration because of her patience. She did what a lot of good teachers do she modeled behavior.

Another thing I remember about the school I was in is that every day we had to read aloud in front of the class. It was difficult for me because I would get nervous and I still get nerves when speaking in front of large groups of people. But that exercise helped me a lot because I learned to read well. From the first grade to the sixth grade I had to read aloud in front of everyone in the class. I made me work hard and constantly improve in reading and vocalizing. When I was in second grade my reading level was high.

Yolanda always put forth an effort to help us understand and learn at school. I also remember that when a teacher was absent the principal would ask the sixth grade teachers to recommend a few students to assist the class. I would always be picked because Yolanda knew I was liked to help other kids and she wanted me to have more experience. So I would usually go and help out the first grade classes. I was one of three students that were selected to help out with over sixty first grade students. It was a lot of responsibility. We had to help organize students into rows, and also assist with the day’s assignment and lesson plans. It was a great experience. Yolanda gave me the opportunity to help and do what I liked to do. She was a great influence on me and she is one of the reasons that I want to be a teacher.

Of the many people I have known, one stands out as a being a very large influence in my life. His name is Duncan Young, and for many years he has been many things to me --a coach, a friend, a confidante. But most of all, he has been an inspiration. If observed he would definitely be termed a realist, but his grounded nature is peppered with lots of idealist motivation and wisdom.

I met Duncan when I was five, and in a beginning gymnastics program at a local gym. At the gym, Duncan was the sole instructor for the male team, and one of several instructors for the beginning course I was in. He was strong and confident, and had a teaching style unlike any of the other coaches. He would push you to your fullest, and even a little farther sometimes. But not once was he mean or overbearing –he would encourage and commend you the entire way, which (sadly) was not something many of the coaches did. Also, with Duncan it was always about having fun, no matter how hard you were working. There were always breaks to goof around, and there were always silly games to play (which he managed to make exciting and beneficial).

Duncan’s teaching style meshed perfectly with my learning style, but unfortunately, it was not congruent with the style the gyms owner wanted all staff members to implement. Duncan eventually left the gym and focused primarily on teaching classes through the City of Ventura Parks and Recreation department. I lost contact with him for several years, and because the gym environment was not as appealing as it once was I left as well. However, that wasn’t that last I would see of Duncan Young.

A few years passed, and one night I ran into him in a local video store where we started talking about his Parks and Recreation classes. He mentioned the fact that his current assistant was going to leave for college, and he was looking for someone with a fair amount of experience to fill the position. I expressed interest, completed the necessary paperwork, and was hired to help him shortly after. At the time I thought it was nice to have Duncan back in my life, but I had absolutely no idea how influential and inspiring he would become.

Well, what started out as a Saturday morning job with Duncan turned into a challenging employment stint that lasted the better part of six years. I gained strength, confidence and leadership skills that carried over into every aspect of my life. Because of my experience teaching with Duncan, I was able to obtain a second job- this time teaching gymnastics for the City of Ojai. With both jobs I taught close to twenty classes every week, interacting with over four hundred children ages two to fourteen. Like he always had, Duncan continued to push me to be bigger, better, more –all the while praising and congratulating me for accomplishing as much as I had. He helped me to be a great coach and a great person, always reinforcing the idea that I wanted to become a teacher. That way I would be able to return the favor, and inspire children the way Duncan has inspired me.

Several years have passed since I stopped working for Duncan –I am now a full time student, and don’t have time for employment. I completed my A.A. degree in 2005, and I am on my way to obtaining my Bachelors degree as well. I continue to stay in touch with Duncan, and he is still as supportive as ever. He has helped me become who I am today, and there is no way I can ever thank him for all he has done for me, or for all that he continues to do.

The person who has had the most impact on my life would be my best friend, Andrew. He has helped me overcome the most difficult time of my life, in positive and lasting ways. His inspiration motivates me through each and every day.
At the time I met Andrew, I was trying to get back on my feet, and figure out what to do with my life since my then-husband, abandoned me. All the things I had accomplished, all the plans I had as a wife, disappeared with a phone call. The life that I knew and hoped for was gone. I was completely taken by surprise and felt lost. I struggled to find myself and my purpose.
When I first met Andrew, we did not really hit it off. He was not like the rest of my coworkers at the time, so he didn’t seem to fit in. My girlfriend had a pool party one night for our work crew, and to our surprise, Andrew showed up. They wanted to play a game of chicken fight (where one person gets on his/her partner’s shoulders and they try to knock the opponents into the water). Andrew became my partner. I was weary about him, but as I got on his shoulders, he told me, “Don’t worry Jemma, you’re NOT going down.” From that moment on, I trusted Andrew. Needless to say, we won the chicken fights. We then started to talk more at work.
My favorite band from my pre-teen years, Duran Duran, reunited and I got tickets to their concert in Los Angeles. It was a dream come-true, and I really wanted to go with someone special. Originally, I planned to go with someone I dated, but by the time the concert drew near, that guy was turning into a jerk. I was telling Andrew how I really did not want to take that person to the concert with me, and wished I had someone else to take. He said he would go with me. Andrew was just born when Duran Duran made it big, but he was very open to hearing their music, which impressed me. I never thought I would really enjoy life again. I always missed sharing such moments with my ex-husband. We had such a good time, after the concert I told Andrew that he was now my favorite date. I used to feel sad that I had no one to go out with, to share and appreciate these experiences like I did, but now, I had Andrew.
Of all the people I met, friends that have come and gone, and reappeared in my life, Andrew reminds me of all that I was when I was young, and all that I can be. We share the same interests and spirit of adventure. His active lifestyle (sports, wrestling) has influenced me to become more active again (training, martial arts). His “do it” and “reach for the stars” outlook help me to feel more confident about my own decisions and goals. I now have a sense of direction and purpose about my future/career, since I am more in tune with myself.
Because of his openness and honesty with me, I am able to talk, express, and be myself. Because he has a truly good heart, I am able to trust again, and have hope and faith in humanity. Andrew is a realist in that he accepts what life brings, but as an idealist, he moves on and does not dwell on what can not be changed. He would tell me that I worry too much. He spends no energy on the negative, and constantly strives for the better.
Andrew has taught me to be younger, healthier, and stronger- mentally, physically, and spiritually. We live life to the fullest and to the best of our abilities each day. Sometimes, we forget these lessons when our world is turned upside down, but then an Angel appears who tells you, “You’re NOT going down.”
I hope to teach my students to believe in themselves, follow their dreams, and love life, as I have learned from Andrew.

My life has been full of many important influences. They include my parents, siblings, friends, and a few teachers. However, Mrs. Hammitt, my high school teacher, is the most important. She helped me complete all the requirements needed to graduate form high school. I will always be grateful for having her guidance and influence. Mrs. Hammitt’s approach was both realist and idealist.

It all began my JR year of high school. I had missed quite a lot of school and my counselor was breathing down my neck about a possible solution to this dilemma. She advised me to enter the independent studies program to complete some credits I was lacking. So I did.

My designated day for class was Tuesday (I only went to school on Tuesday). As soon as I walked in the door I knew this would be a very different experience for me. Mrs. Hammitt greeted me with the warmest and kindest smile I had ever seen. She made me feel at ease in a matter of seconds. But, be that as it may, she was very strict when it came to homework and tests. She calculated how many hours it would take me to finish certain assignments and she assigned new ones accordingly. I had tons of homework every week and I knew that when Tuesday came around it had to be done and I had to be ready for the exams that would be awaiting me. I did not have time to fool around. She expected me to work hard and I did.

I was able to complete the program successfully because of Mrs. Hammitt’s encouragement. She believed in me and made me realize that I could accomplish anything if I applied myself. Mrs. Hammitt was the one person who said to me that I should go to college; before that the thought had never crossed my mind. She believed that anything was possible and that rubbed off on me. She also made it very clear that such things just don’t happen, on the contrary, we have to work hard to attain anything that is worthwhile.

For all these reasons I am in Mrs. Hammitt’s debt. She taught me so many things, but most importantly she taught me to believe in myself.

When asked the question: “Who was your most influential teacher?” One might think about a teacher they had when they were attending elementary school, or high school. When I think about my most influential teacher, I think of someone I met when high school was all finished and I was starting out in the “real” world. The person I am thinking of is in fact a teacher, she was just never an official teacher to me. Yvette Hawkins taught me so much in the four and half years I have known her that it would be easy to say that she is in fact my most influential teacher. She taught me one of life’s most important lessons: you have to make yourself happy and not worry about what others might think about you. Along with this lesson goes the fact that you can’t make everyone happy, so don’t try.

Yvette is a special education teacher for Ventura County. Her way of thinking and teaching style has helped more than 40 severely disabled students to improve their way of life in one way or another. She is the teacher I strive to be. Yvette has an idealistic approach in the fact that she sees all her students as completely teachable, no matter their ability or disability. She is also a realist in the way that she is based in reality and sets attainable goals for her students. Her classroom has a feel of learning in it that you don’t typically find in special education. She is patient, understanding, and expects independence from her students and her staff.

Not only is she an inspiration to me in the classroom, but also in her personal life. She is as responsible and organized in her life as she is in her classroom. She does what makes her and her husband happy, and they do what they need to do in order to have their life go the way they want. She surrounds herself with good, happy people, who like her for who she is. She is there for her friends and will do anything for them.

Yvette has been there for me the last couple of years. When I wanted to quit school and just give up she was there prodding me. She showed me through her confidence in me that I will make a great teacher. She took me under her wing and helped me to see life as it really is. Yvette helped me to understand that it’s hard work now, but it’s worth it, and one day when I am done with school I will have something to be proud of. Yvette is not just my boss, or my friend, she is my mentor.

Mr. Riley, certainly an “idealist” person in his teaching. As I think back in high school, sitting in his classroom anxious to learn about literature. He motivated myself to explore ideas and expand my way of thinking. He inspired me to learn and continue to further my education. He certainly had high expectations and set high standards for each and every one of his students. He believed that each of his students had the capability to become whatever they wanted to be.

As I remember him, he would always play reggae music as we were to write in our daily journals, or when we had an assignment to read. For example, Romeo and Juliet. Each student had to choose a popular verse from Romeo and Juliet, memorize it and recite it in front of the class. We also had five to ten minutes to present it in front of him and the class, and explain why we picked the verse. In remembering this I think back at how I am not good at speaking in front of crowds, but he made each student feel comfortable, relaxed, and believed that we can do it.

But in other ways he was also a “realist” he had an understanding of what was going on in our lives, and new how to speak to us as young adults. He even made the most troubled student want to learn and achieve goals. He made us understand and know what the “real world” would and can be like as we graduate and prepare for the future. Mr. Riley always asked us about our ambitions and goals in life after high school. He wanted to know what thrived us to succeed. He would always tell us that teaching was his happiness and he wanted to show us some of that, and felt that in his teaching he can reach out to each one of his students, and have us focus on what we wan to do with our lives and who want to share it with. He taught us what real life is like, after high school.

In the end Mr. Riley was my motivator in furthering my education. He always made us believe that anything is possible. And it was in his teaching that he helped us all individually. I knew right that second that I wanted to be a teacher, and share that with my future students. And maybe I can inspire one of them, in showing them that any one is capable in becoming whatever it is they want to be, if they believe in themselves.