To Whom It May Concern: March 8, 2011
I would not have had the amazing high school experience that I had if it were not for Mrs. Handley. I got involved early on at SCN with student council. This commitment meant a lot of time would be spent in the student activities office. This is where I bonded with Mrs. Handley and through the next four years of high school she would always be there for me. I would often stop in the office on my way to P.E. just to say hello. I’d tell Mrs. Handley what we were doing that day in P.E. and invite her to come watch. She watched me Kayak, Dance, and run the pacer.
During my sophomore year she nominated me as an “unsung hero”. This was such a huge honor and to receive it from a person who was not the typical class room teacher was extra special. I say that she wasn’t a typical class room teacher because she was a teacher in her own sense. She taught me a lot of different life lessons that would be more practical than a lot of the lessons I learned in the classroom. She taught me how stability and dependability is a wonderful strength. She was always there when I needed her. I knew I could always count on Mrs. Handley for anything. She taught me practical things like how to use the copier, and how to use the poster making machine (things other kids didn’t get to learn). She also helped me realize how far a simple smile or hug can go.
She became my “mom away from mom”. I was student body president my senior year and vice president my junior year. These positions were stressful and Mrs. Handley really understood everything that student council did. She was always a person I know I could go to if I needed to vent. She was also a person I could go to if I needed to break down and cry. I remember one day in particular after a close family friend had passed away. I was sitting in U.S. History and felt the tears welling up. I asked to go to the bathroom and walked straight to Mrs. Handley. She instantly read my face and knew that I was upset and took me into a quiet place with a closed door so I could let go and “get it all out”. I cried for a few minutes and Mrs. Handley held my hand and I knew she understood my pain. She took time away from her day to comfort me and to make sure I was ok emotionally. We talked for a while and she happily wrote me a pass back to class.
Mrs. Handley is a person that I will go back to SCN to visit in the years to come. She has been amazing at rejoicing with my success and comforting me during my failures. I always knew I could count on her for wise council and advice in any area whether it was school, boys, student council, or my college decision. I am pretty sure that she ran the school but never let anyone know because she is such a humble servant. I am extremely grateful for all the passes she wrote me, all the advice and support she gave me, and all the hugs and smiles she provided.
She would be a most deserving recipient of this award!
Most sincerely,
Paige Oler
0 comments:
Post a Comment