Dear Mrs. Sterrett,

Going through school, we’re lucky if we have a teacher that reaches us. A teacher who is able to connect with us amongst all of the books, numbers, and tests. A teacher who is able to change our lives with their impact during the school year. But, what is truly lucky is when a teacher’s presence in your life doesn’t end when summer begins. What is truly lucky is when a teacher becomes a friend. 

From the moment I sat down in your first grade classroom, you’ve changed my life. In your classroom, you helped foster a love for learning that still resides in me today. You empowered me to explore possibilities and have the confidence to discover solutions on my own. Your belief in what I was capable of pushed me to achieve at a higher level and erase limits I’d put on myself. Your investment and love for your students was at the root of everything you did and made coming to school each day something I could do with a smile. My experience in your classroom shaped my educational future by providing me with the lessons and skills I needed to succeed. 

And while I am confident that your influence as my first grade teacher helped determine the trajectory of my future, I’m more thankful that 19 years later you’re still having an influence on my life. From visits at Stanford, to personalized Christmas Carols you have sprinkled joy, laughter, and love into my life. Your constant support has reinforced the lessons you taught me so many years ago. Through the highs and the lows, you have been a steady presence and someone I could always count on. 

Thank you for not only being an amazing first grade teacher, but also an amazing friend, one I can still learn from today.

Love,

Sean