Ms. Rulo

I went into AP Calculus this year a little terrified and very worried. I’ve been lucky to usually excel in math classes, and have always been able to balance school with work, theatre, and anything else in my life.

But Calc. pushed me, and in more ways than one. But right alongside it there was Ms. Rulo pushing me as well. She also supported me, encouraged me, and asked me all about what I’m going through in my life.

From the very beginning of the year Ms. Rulo has worked hard to prepare her students for this difficult AP exam. She’s pushed her students to do their best because she knows what our best is and wants us to be proud of our own work. She stays after school and comes in before school as often and as long as she can to give her students extra help. Calculus is a tough class, but she works tirelessly to make sure her classes understand the content and can succeed on tests.

And beyond the classwork, she invests in her students’ lives, asking how they’re doing, how their sports teams and school clubs are going, and lets them know she’s always there to listen. Since most all of her Calc. students are seniors, she’s also invested in our journeys to figuring out college.

The entirety of first semester I didn’t know what I was going to do about college, and I loved coming to talk to her about it, because she didn’t have a bias like my family or friends. She gives honest advice to her students. And because I came to her so much about college, she was the first teacher I told when I decided on a college and degree.

She’s kind and easy to talk to, which is so important for any teacher, but especially one of such a difficult class. I truly believe that if it wasn’t for her, I would have probably dropped the class at semester. But Ms. Rulo had encouraged me all semester, and made me want to succeed. I wanted to make her proud and progress throughout the year and get better. (My last test score was my best all year, so I definitely think I was able to achieve that.)

Thank you Ms. Rulo, for encouraging me, listening to me rant and ramble about a million things, helping me with even the smallest and most minute questions I come up with, and most importantly, thank you for being you. Your positive personality and outlook on life has made Calc. a bearable class at 8:18 A.M., and I don’t think so many kids would succeed on the exam without you.