Mrs. Baize,

Two years ago, I stepped into your room for the very first time. I knew you from Track & Field, but I never had you throughout the year as a teacher until my sophomore year. I can remember that time where I was sleeping in your class, not because I was lazy, but because I was sick, and instead of yelling at me to get up, you cared enough to ask how I was feeling and sent me to the nurse to learn that I was very sick. Not many teachers do stuff like that, no matter how simple it might be.

Then there was the speech project, something I know by now I’ve talked about too much. I was not amazingly outgoing, but I was also not shy. I actually had no clue what I was doing for the project, and I know for a fact that you knew I finished that speech late, but you were lenient, for some reason. I don’t know if the content of the speech, or what, but I still got a 100%. I remember the notes you wrote on the rubric, after I handed you a hastily edited “original copy”. I also remember going way longer than I originally thought I would.

You cared about me how almost no other teacher did. You reach out, you instill hope and brightness into every single student who crosses your path. Among that, is you’re one of the reasons I’m in a better place now, and am hopefully on my way to a new me. I’m very glad you let me come back and TA for you for 2 years. Thank you so much for everything.

-Shaun Matz