Brag

I'm going to take this opportunity to do a little shameless bragging. If you're not interested in me patting myself on the back, you can go ahead and hit the road.

The Northwest Passage is the school newspaper at Northwest, where I had my first full-time teaching job back in 2010-2011. I was recently sent a copy because I'm mentioned in an article about a former student of mine.

Hayley was an all-star student and I adored having her in class as well as seeing her a church on Sundays. She's now taking three languages at NW and has big plans for the future. I can't wait to see where God leads her!

My first year was incredibly challenging and I was absolutely convinced (by the end of first semester) that it would be my last. Honestly, if I could've found another job I would've left the profession in a heartbeat. As I finish the end of my third year I'm still not 100% sure I'm in it for the long haul but mentally I'm so far past where I was back then. It's pretty amazing to read her quote and see how much of an impact I had when I was at my worst. 

I hadn't seen Hayley and her family at church for quite a while and when we caught each other on Sunday she ran up and gave me a hug. She was so excited to see that I'm pregnant and I was grateful I could thank her in person for her kind words. 

I can only hope for more experiences like this in my future. This is why I teach.