Alma Mater

I recently received an email from the president of my high school (http://whitfield.ccsct.com/). He periodically sends out emails to alumnus providing updates and reflections about current events at the school. As I thoroughly enjoyed my high school experience, I welcome such communications. Correspondence this time was a bit different.

Usually I skim the emails for topics that interest me or names I recognize and they lie dormant in my Gmail inbox. While the fate of this email is the same, I decided to reply and share my new professional development with NYCTF.

My email included wonderful praise for all my previous teachers and great gratitude for my school as a whole. I also provided a synopsis of the Teaching Fellows program with a link to its homepage for further details.

The following day, I was surprised to see an email from my AP Spanish teacher sitting, unread. in my inbox. Her message was glowing with excitement and pride. I was flattered by her kind words about my decision to become a teacher and her experiences with me as a high school student. A few hours later, I received another email from my 8th & 12th grade social studies teacher (the same person) containing comments to the same effect. I responded to both promptly and gracefully, politely thanking them for their kind statements. As it turns out, the president forwarded my email to the entire faculty, as revealed to me by the Spanish teacher.

I was a bit struck that he chose to do that, but, in retrospect am glad he did. It makes me happy to know that the teachers at my Alma Mater who gave me such great opportunity, have some idea of the gratitude I have for them. I hope my future students feel the same way one day.