The Heart Of A Teacher Makes A Difference - And Response (2)

  • Friday, April 24, 2015

In less than four weeks, I expect to be one of 216 graduating seniors from East Hamilton School. One could say all possible variables help a student rise to the highest levels in school; but a student is more than his environment or genetic code. He is a mixture of his own propensity and dedication to academics, coupled with a systemic team of mentors who give their all as a student’s main artery to academic life. There is a beating heart which inspires, motivates, and even catapults the student into high achievement. I believe these mentors -- this scholastic lifeblood -- is the passion behind these graduates achieving such results. 

Looking back to my first years, my kindergarten teacher took a timid and unhappy student and resuscitated in me a confidence and an eagerness to learn. She encouraged me to run for the school's Student Leadership Team. Because of her efforts and personal monitoring of me, I was inducted into the Advanced Learning Program every year at Addison Elementary. In third grade, the principal created a unique vein of enrichment of her student body by implementing a school–wide competition for memorizing the spelling and definitions of vocabulary words. For those who recited the definitions correctly, they were invited to an exclusive breakfast party with her. Each month I worked diligently to memorize those words for that honor. This exercise developed in me a discipline that extolled in me a determination to become a solid academic. To my humble surprise, I was presented with the Outstanding Academic Excellence Award in the 2008 President's Academic Award Program. 

In middle school at East Hamilton School, my soccer coach, Joseph Myers, propelled me and our entire team to new heights we never dreamed possible to win the 2009 District Championship. In East Hamilton’s opening year, nobody on the team knew each other, but that arrhythmia was soon relieved by Coach Myers pumping us up and keeping us in pace with skill, teamwork, and communication. The attitudes I learned from Coach that year helped me secure the confidence for promotion to high school on the honor roll. 

In the high school years at East Hamilton, our band director, Mrs. Molly Epperson, pushed me musically and never missed a beat in honoring me with leadership roles. She encouraged me to sign up for competitions in which I honed my improvisational skills with the school's jazz band. She led me to a new scope in music which promoted confident leadership skills into other areas of my life.  

My growing confidence stroked a natural inclination toward the maths and sciences. This was true until I took algebra II my junior year. Mrs. Kirsten Legac, had an excellent reputation, but one that was intense and challenging. Some would say she was heart-stoppingly hard! Every day of that semester, she challenged me to soar to new heights of learning. With dedication to her class, I excelled in the face of an intimidating course load. Also in my junior year, I was fortunate to have enrolled in AP Physics with Mr. Jason Wohlers who allowed me to take this class without first having taken the calculus prerequisite. He had faith that I could tolerate the difficult curriculum, and with his mentoring, I did. Since then I have worked closely with this teacher to fully understand physics and complex math concepts. This senior year, Mr. Wohlers took me under his wing by asking me to be a teacher’s aide and I was privileged to accept. Along with Mr. Wohlers, Mrs. Gina Candler was approachable and encouraging after my struggles in chemistry. She brought me up to speed, spending a great deal of quality time with me, to the degree that I am now excelling in her AP chemistry class. I would not have the appreciation I do now for chemistry without Mrs. Candler’s guidance. Lastly, East Hamilton has liaised with David Kelman, a computer software businessman with ivy league credentials, who has injected my AP calculus and AP computer science courses with an entrepreneurial spirit that has led to a mentorship that seems boundless. 

I have to say I could not have achieved the grades, discipline, far-reaching outlook and a certain sinus rhythm toward my future all on my own. I have relied on a circulatory system of mentors, teachers and academic guidance to propel me this far to have finished with such high honors. From my heart, I want to acknowledge my teachers throughout my 13 years of education, beginning with a heartened respect for all who saw in me a leader, despite my misgivings about school and my debilitating shyness. I was a diamond-in-the-rough, yet my relationships with my teachers, coaches, and mentors, hewed and polished me to become the freshman candidate who now seeks a place to continue to grow and expand his academic and leadership capabilities into the collegiate world. It is one path for which I feel fully prepared to follow, and I hope that I find in the dual-degree program at Covenant College and GA Tech just as cherished a team of heart-felt professors, counselors and mentors in this new phase of my academic life. 

James W. Snuggs, Jr. 

* * * 

Mr. Snuggs' outstanding testimonial to the value of teachers in the classroom not only is about teachers but also is evidence of an outstanding student's pursuit of an education and his personal record of accomplishment during his formative years.  How proud those teachers must be to read his record, just as this taxpayer is.  But I would be remiss if I failed to hand the well-deserved accolades to the teachers who show up every day and open their hearts and minds to their students to make their journey along the pathway toward an education a pleasant experience with a lifelong benefit.  

Thank you, Mr. Snuggs. Your perfectly written heartfelt documentation makes this taxpayer's contribution seem inadequate.  Enjoy your future of learning.  My youngest granddaughter is finishing her first year at Georgia Tech. 

Charlotte Parton
Chattanooga  

* * * 

I hope that everyone has had a chance to read "The Heart of a Teacher" by senior student James Snuggs from East Hamilton High School that was printed in the "Opinion" section.  If you haven't, please take the time to do so. It is a testimony to the great teachers that we have in the Hamilton County School System and at least one other school system he has mentioned.  

Even though I am sure that James is a self-starter and a superstar student that every teacher would love to have as I witnessed at the awards ceremony with all of the recognitions and awards he received, without their guidance and of course some parental  influence, would this story have had the same ending. As the school year winds down, please find the time to tell a teacher or teachers thank you for all they have done for you (or for your child) and how they might have made a difference in your (child's) life.  All too often, focus is placed on the negative to overshadow all of the positive that is occurring in our schools.   

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the graduating class at East Hamilton High School and wish them all success in whatever avenue they choose in life.  As you graduate and leave the halls of East Hamilton, let me use an old cliché which is fitting and I haven't heard in a long time, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life".  And to add to that, it's up to you to make it count. 

Donna Horn
Vice Chairman Hamilton County Schools, serving District 7

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