Dear Mrs. Fay,

For these past years of knowing you have been a very fun roller coaster, whether it’s academically or personally you have helped me so much and mature these past 2 years of having 3 classes with you. I will always remember and never forget the memories and friendships i made from the classes i had with you whether its foundations of ap pairing me with caroline kraft as my mentor or in , honors english partnering nadia and I together for anything, and lastly in ap lang where you have helped me stay on track and get my work done despite my tendency to stay off track. Words cannot describe how you have helped me become the person I am and learn that my grades don’t define me and how it’s okay to mess up and learn from them but not let them diminish the bubbly and determined person you have described me to be. As a teacher you create an environment where all students can be able to talk freely but be able to create a safe, enjoyable area for everyone while really getting to know their students and their strongest and weakest places and help them through it all. 

Walking into the foundations of AP I had low expectations and thought of it as if it was an elective class and a study hall in one as my counselor randomly put me in it. Best decision ever taking the class as i was Walking into my  sophomore year without taking any AP classes or even stepping foot in an honors class as it was being challenging and scary, but you helped me along the way and taught me the in’s and outs, while being able to know who i truly was and helped me make bonds with people i forever be grateful for and still talk to even in college. 

I’m not sure I will ever find a teacher like Mrs. fay with the determination to accompany each student or to hear a student out even if it’s random rants or meaningless thoughts student like i share with here  but i know for certain that i will forever cherish having you as a teacher and hope other students will too.

-Afomia Tense, Staff Photographer

Dear Mrs. Fay, 

Reading and writing have always been my favorite subject, from kindergarten to now, and having you these past two years has furthered my love for literature. Thank you for always being there for me no matter what. Not only do I see you as an English teacher, but also an inspiration and a motivator to keep going no matter what. While you hold all your students to a high standard and sometimes I find myself falling behind, I want to say thank you for keeping the standard no matter what. It has taught me how to persevere and how to stay on top of my work, which has evidently set me up for success in the future. The way you act and treat your students as equals while still teaching them and offering individual support for those who need it, shows me just how much you love your students. I am so grateful for you and having been your student, I will always remember you as the teacher who helped me get through high school. Thank you so so much for everything you have done and all the opportunities you have given me.

P.S. Your style is fabulous, and I aspire to be like you!

-Austyn McBain, Staff Photographer

Mrs. Fay,

I’ve always considered myself a math and science kid, and perhaps I still am; but I’ve changed so much over the time I’ve spent in your first-hour class. Going into my sophomore year, I planned to drop Honors English 2 to join regular English 2, so I could focus on my math and science classes. But I decided I much preferred honors almost immediately, so I joined your first hour class. From there, I’ve grown so much, beyond what the curriculum is necessarily about. Rather than reading exclusively for the sake of a good story, I’ve begun to read seeking deeper meaning, and it began on that first day in Honors English 2. We went to the library that day, and my eyes were drawn to the classic section with some of my friends. We picked up the book “1984” by George Orwell. You encouraged us to read it together and even helped us get more school copies to read it as a little book group. While we didn’t read it then, it left a little seed in the back of my mind, and eventually I read it over the summer and it completely changed the way that I view the actions of the government and helped me realize how important it is that we watch and track their activity. More recently, I’ve been able to pick up and understand essays by speculative philosophers like Saint Augustine by utilizing skills that I began to cultivate in your class. You’ve shifted the way I see the world through movies like “Dead Poets Society,” which offers up the idea that passion is what makes us human. Beyond that, the classroom environment has always felt warm and welcoming while still feeling educational. We get ample time to grow as a classroom without losing a hardworking attitude, and you often join in on conversations that help us grow our viewpoints. You take the time to make sure everyone is on the same page in your class, like when I got pneumonia after a band trip and you spent most of fall break helping me write an essay on “In the Time of the Butterflies.” you even went so far as to email my parents to talk about how glad you were that I was willing to work hard, even after being sick. Further, you’ve always encouraged me to try new things, like when I picked up “Candide” by Voltaire, or when I started showing you the leather journals I was making. Overall, I’ve grown so much over the past two years, and a lot of it has been driven by you. You’ve helped me grow as a student through classwork and as a person through the class conversations.

Thanks so much for all the times you’ve encouraged me to try something new and helped me grow in my education.

-Jarrett Reed, Staff Reporter