I don’t think it’s a secret that I love my students and my alma mater dearly. Both of them have a special place in my heart and receive a lot of my love and attention.
When God allows those two things to merge together, I feel even more blessed. Especially when it comes in the form of receiving text messages like this:
Student 1: “I received my acceptance letter from UNC!”
Student 2: “I was just accepted to the University of North Carolin at Chapel Hill :-)”
I’m relatively emotional ANYWAY (another post for another time), but when you have the opportunity to work with students, share your love and passions with them, and then watch them pursue that on their own- and the result is successful- the feeling is overwhelming.
I’ve known many of these students since I’ve been at this school, so I’ve watched them grow over the past few years. It is always my desire to see them excel; to have a life of choice, one full of “want-to” not “have-to”.
I was in tears after receiving their text messages (and a few phone calls) because I’m so excited about the things to come in their lives. Every day these students trust me and other teachers at our word- that the hard work will pay off, that the struggles they’re facing are common AND that they will overcome them. And then there are days like this where they really, truly believe you.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve them.