On a serious note (Me…serious?): I want to take a moment to remind everyone how powerful words are, especially to children.

Many times as a child, I felt lost and in need of guidance. I was not someone who saw in myself the confidence and strength that others may have seen in me.

Of the many people who shaped who I am today, one of the first who stands out in particular is my 7th grade teacher, Mr. Kratz. I asked him to sign my end-of-year notebook that all my friends had penned their goodbye notes in. When I got home, I slowly began to comb through all the well wishes and the one that still resonates with me today is the one from him.

What a GEM in a coalmine, you are destined for success. Sincerely, Mr. Kratz.

He may have written that in everyone’s book, but at that moment, I believed him.  Who knew 20 years later, I would still tell myself that when I am facing hardship or feeling discouraged. Teachers: Know that your words do not always fall on deaf ears.

“I am a success today because I had someone who believed in me, and I didn’t have the heart to let them down.” — Abraham Lincoln