College: St. Louis Community College – Meramec
Major : Music
It’s amazing to think about how one teacher can have such a large impact on your life. Many people in my family are teachers, like my mom and my grandmother. Hearing about all of the hard work they did made me appreciate the teachers that I had more. My favorite teacher that I’ve ever had was my third grade teacher, Mr. Daniel Mueller. As I finish my final year as a student in the Kirkwood School District, remembering his kind words helps me move forward.
Mr. Mueller had a unique way of connecting with his students and learning more about things like their interests. At the beginning of third grade, Mr. Mueller assigned my classmates and me journals so we could practice cursive writing. Students could write about any topic of their choice that interested them, and Mr. Mueller responded to us at the end of every week. I often wrote about my anxiety or the kids in school who bullied me. Mr. Mueller always comforted me when he wrote back. He would tell me not to worry about what people said to me, and complimented me on things like my writing skills to help me feel more confident and less anxious. Since then, I have learned to stand up for myself, and have also further developed my writing skills. I still keep my journal in a drawer below my bookshelf in my room. Mr. Mueller helped me develop the confidence and skills that I’ll carry with me as I go into college.
My freshman year, I was heartbroken to hear that Mr. Mueller had suddenly passed away. I remember going to a candlelight vigil for him at my old elementary school, and feeling immensely moved by seeing all of his old students mourning with me. I feel sad knowing he’s no longer here, but I also find peace in knowing that his words will live forever in the journal he gave me.
One night in junior year, after a stressful day, I opened the drawer underneath my bookshelf and skimmed through the words of encouragement Mr. Mueller wrote to me. I felt more calm and reassured, just as I did in the third grade when I read his encouraging words. I still think of him every time I write my name in cursive. When I walk across the stage at Chaifetz Arena on Graduation Day, I will remember his encouraging words, and never forget the impact he had on my life.
