I would not be the young man that I am today if it weren’t for Mr. C, as we so loyally nicknamed him. He taught with a rare and enthusiastic power that just lit up the classroom with an excitement for learning. It was contagious and it wasn’t long before everyone was equally enthralled by him. I do not remember a day where I was not excited to go to his class, (except for when he told us there would be substitute filling in for him). He not only taught with eagerness, but also…fondness, you might say. It felt as if he desired the success of every single one of his students no matter who they were. He didn’t look at us as his next task to be fulfilled as so many teachers do today, but as individuals with unique needs and dreams.
My fondest recollection of his class was the day that he told me to shape up. Before that moment I had been a rowdy and disrespectful student and I’m sure that I caused a lot of grief for many of my past teachers. However, Mr. C had gained so much respect from me and every other student in that classroom that his words struck home. When I left school that day, I was truly changed. He made me into the young man that I am today.