由Halie不仅仅是一个老师

由Halie不仅仅是一个老师- June 2021 Scholarship Essay

我有这么多神奇的老师在我的李fe, so picking just one was hard. However, I knew which teacher had the most impact on my life and I had to write about her. Ms. Darcey Voyles was my sophomore english teacher and my dual credit teacher my senior year, but she was so much more than that to me. I grew up in a very small town of about 5,000 people, so everyone knew everyone. My mom knew Ms. Voyles since they were in college! One day I came home talking about a trip to Europe that Ms. Voyles was hosting through the school and my mom told me the craziest thing. Ms. Voyles and my mom were both in class the day the towers went down and my mom and Darcey went back to her dorm and watched everything happen on the news. They bonded over the events of 9/11 and my mom knew that I was going to be in good hands if I went to Europe with her. So, I ended up going to Europe and it was one of the best trips I ever had, but more importantly I got to see a side of my teacher I never had. Teachers are more than just teachers. They are caregivers and nurturers. On this trip it was just Ms. Voyles, another classmate and then me. We had the best time! I saw the fun side to her and she made sure that she did everything in her power to make sure we felt safe and comfortable in a foreign country. One day I was missing home and she could immediately tell something was wrong. She held me as I told her how homesick I was. We built an inseparable bond on that trip and she will always be my “travel mom.”
Ms. Voyles never failed to put a smile on my face and she was a light both in the classroom and outside. When we were in the school she always made sure all her students knew they were loved and could come to her for anything. She had an open door policy for both present students and past. Ms. Voyles always had a positive attitude and an energy that was contagious. You couldn’t help but smile when you went in her classroom, even if you were having a bad day. She was and still is that teacher that students go to after school if they had a bad day and just need to vent. She always has a listening ear and some of the best advice. She was there for school issues and personal. She did not judge and she was always compassionate.
Not only is she an overall great person she is also an amazing teacher! She is so knowledgeable and makes sure that her students fully understand what they are learning. She had some of the most engaging lessons and always tried to relate difficult topics to things that we would understand. She would take the time to make sure that no one was falling behind. If you needed extra help she never had any problem staying after school to make sure you would succeed in her class.
I moved 9 hours away from home to go to my dream school and she still makes sure she communicates with me! She will spontaneously check up on me or send me her best wishes. This is just another example of how she truly cares about all of her students no matter if they are current or past. I can not thank her enough for the support and knowledge she gave and continues to give me! She truly is one of the best humans I know.