My sophomore year of high school was by far the worst ever! I went to an all girl college preparatory school. Ninety-five percent of the girls were from wealthy families. Their parents were doctors, lawyers, judges, or car dealership owners. Here I am a young black female from inner-city Washington, DC. My only claim to fame was that I was bright and intelligent. I got a scholarship to attend a school that cost a little more than $10,000 per year.
1996, my sophomore year, was one of the hardest years in my academic life. The workload was rigorous and demanding. I had three to four hours of homework a night. For English class I had to read five books in the summer then another six or seven during the year. On top of the workload sometimes I would just feel like socially I did not fit in. I mean most of the girls along with the staff were extremely nice. On the outside I always appeared like I had myself together. Surprise! Most days I didn't know whether I was coming or going.
However, there was my English teacher, Mrs. Mattingly, who somehow managed to break through me. English has always been my favorite subject. I love to read and write. Writing is a deep passion of mine. Mrs. Mattingly also loved to write. My English class required me to write a lot. Usually we wrote about the books we read. There was something about Mrs. Mattingly that touched my mind, heart, and soul. She was so passionate about teaching and writing.
She had a style of teaching that just reached out to me. She pushed me to develop my writing skills more. She held high expectations of me because she knew what I was capable of. Mrs. Mattingly talked with me outside of class time. She wanted to know me personally. She didn't care where I came from or how much money my family grossed. She only cared that I continued to write.
One day I gave Mrs. Mattingly a note thanking her for taking a personal interest in me and my academic development. This is how she responded: "Dear Tracie, I loved your note: it made my day, even my week, and maybe the whole month of March! I greatly admire your work ethic, your participation and focus, your enthusiasm. Any time you need a helping hand, just holler. Love, Mrs. Mattingly." I still have the note. I still look at it from time to time. Throughout high school and even still now, Mrs. Mattingly will always be a teacher who made a difference in my life.
-- Tracie Dow, American University