This is a tribute to my students past and present.

Spring 2007

• My juniors/history group: They were a tough group to work with sometimes, but somehow they always worked really well together in the end. This was the height of tutoring for me. I fell in love with my students, tutoring, and the high school. Even years later, when I see any of these students, we show our love for one another. :)
• I am so proud of BW in particular. I remember wanting him in my group in the spring of his junior year and he was in my groups all senior year. He is honestly the smartest, most driven and pleasant student to work with. He earned the title of my favorite in the class of 2008... by a long shot. No contest.

Spring 2008

• I remember how hard these guys were to work with, but they taught me how to deal with high school students. I remember when the teacher wasn't there and they got upset at a tutor. I figured it out, I fixed it. I knew then that I had classroom management skills even if people don't think so. It must be because I care about them and they know it. :)

Spring 2009

• When the class of 2008 (above pictures) became seniors, they became so troublesome. I never thought I would love this group of juniors as much but I did. My first group included DI and JL (initials just like mine!) as well as EM who is no longer part of the program. They had so much to offer and I've enjoyed seeing DI grow - he got the "most improved" award his junior AND senior years. I loved working with them and I wish them the best of luck in college - they are going to UNCC, WCU, and App! Great schools for great guys! As seniors, they weren't as bad as the class of 08.

• Seniors are not my favorite. Usually, it's juniors. This year's juniors and I have been together for 3 years (some of them), but who I fell in love with wasn't just the juniors. I fell in love with the sophomores and I am attached to both juniors and sophomores. I got to spend time with them in Atlanta. I love them so much, all of them. There is not one bad egg in the sophomore group. What sucks is that I only got 1 year with them. :/ They are the reason I can't leave.

• Despite only knowing DR for a semester, he became a favorite. He shares this title with out sophs though because threre are so many awesome sophs I can't even make a list. I will try though: DR, JW (below), DW, WS, and A"D"G are just a few actually because I love SS, KW, etcetera. If I was 16, I'd feel so lucky to be around such cute, smart, and funny guys/girls (if I liked women...). Where do such guys go? Cause I have not found more amazing people than my students. They must all turn into jerks in college or this class of sophs is just fantastic and one of a kind. Back to DR, I'm sad to leave cause I only had to chance to know him for 1 semester. Even though I never tutored him, he'd always talk to me. He's new, but he fits in so well here so I hope he doesn't leave us for a private school. He's adorable and his face makes me smile - he's got charm. I drove to a semi-far away JV baseball game to see him not really play... cause you just can't help but love him.
  

• If I had to pick one favorite soph, it would be JW. I have his number. I hope that's not weird. I also called when he was missing at the banquet. Reason: he's the best and I knew he wasn't there because he lights up my life. Haha. Seriously though, coolest kid, makes me laugh, most awesome wardrobe, and easy to get along with. He's a big ray of sunshine, which is why he beats everyone else. He's my only non-graduating facebook friend. We have a handshake too. :)

• Besides A"D"G, I don't really like the girls. Everyone I've spoke about is a boy, but these ladies kill the guys. Maybe not, but I love girls or well, them. They are so much fun to be around, so upbeat. High school girls, let me tell you, are not the most exciting people to be around. There is always too much drama. I love NF, DD, and ZM for their willingness to open up, their silliness, and who can forget, their beauty. I'm living high school all over again vicariously through them. I wish my friends in high school were as awesome.
  

• I don't even know what to say about RH! I've tutored him for 3 years now. He makes fun of me, gives me this head shake when I do something weird, which is often. He makes it easy for me to be myself. He brings out the me I love, the me that is fun. :) I will miss the daily rolling of the eyes and shaking of the head. He's always on top of his game too - smart, mostly nice, and a leader. :)

• 3 years! DD is going to be a big football star, but he's always been super nice and lots of fun. He doesn't have a big head (quite yet). One of things I've enjoyed about working with the students is how much they do. I never did so much in high school! These students though do so much and they do it well while making the grades in their classes. I knew few students like that at my high school. I believe that sports and extracurricular activities as well as kindness can go hand in hand with academics, and I'm offering my support to my kids. I pledged my Friday nights to their football games... screw the other school I HAVE to be at. (Yeah yeah, I'll stop this soon.) They are so much better than me and they've driven me to become a better student and person.
  

• I treasure these two. They are always smiling and they have the most amazing personalities. Everyone thinks so. You can tell when they are playing football or just getting an award. They are fantastic, they know it, and they use it to fuel their lives yet they keep becoming better people. They light up rooms. They make everyone's life easier (particularly the tutors). You can tell just by looking at them how awesome they are.
  

• I always worried about my students and their children, but I have learned from my students (several of them) that they can become amazing mothers (and fathers). Many of them have the support of their families, which I now see as the most vital thing. If your kids have children, support will make them successful. They will go to college as my students are, and they won't be deadbeat parents. We can't give up. Again, this just shows how much my students have been able to handle in their lives. They are my heroes.
  

• Somehow, I'm attached to DW and WS. DW has the most potential I've ever seen in a student. WS gave up football camp one summer to work with the summer program. I commend him on that one. He is my child, if I could adopt just one. I remember how he never talked and now he's become a strong young man. He talks, speaks out, and makes jokes. I'm a proud big sis? I guess that's what I'll be. They were the two that I picked to take a picture with because they are the some that I will miss the most.