Class of 2019: Teachers Who Made a Difference

The Class of 2019 have flipped their tassels and will soon head to college. Many years from now, these students will remember teachers who inspired them and helped them grow.

As part of a survey to gather information for our annual “Where are they headed” article featuring high school graduates and where they’re heading to college, we included the question: Teacher who changed your life and why. Once again, the students’ responses were so heartwarming. 

Congratulations, Class of 2019, and thank you to the teachers who helped along the way. To see where these high school grads are heading, check out the article. Also, find out where more local grads are heading - and contribute to, if you haven’t yet – our annual database of college-bound Buzz-area seniors.

Fatema Alshehhi - Alafaq School (Abu Dhabi/United Arab Emirates), Al Reem school (Abu Dhabi/ United Arab Emirates), Alexander-Smith Academy  

Fatema Alshehhi is heading to American University of Sharjah in Dubai and will study Architecture. She says: “Ms. Dane Weller at Alexander-Smith Academy changed the way I look at the subject math. I enjoy solving problems with math rather than with common sense. Ms. Weller’s creativity in teaching math made the subject way easier for all students.” 

Claire Betzer - Condit Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Sharpstown International School 

Claire Betzer is heading to Dartmouth College and will major in International Relations/Government. She says: “Sharpstown International School is home to some of the most supportive and compassionate educators I have ever encountered. All of them have played a role in shaping my life, but if I had to choose one, it would be my AP Comparative Government and Model United Nations mentor, Mr. John Sigren. Mr. Sigren exudes dedication and passion, always willing to sacrifice his time to help his students. He has supported me unequivocally throughout my time at Sharpstown International School, motivating me to pursue my passions and interests to the fullest extent.” 

Jenna Bobbora - Hunters Creek Elementary School, Second Baptist School 

Jenna Bobbora is headed to Texas Christian University and will major in BFA Musical Theatre. She says: “Cindy Blades and Claire Westmoreland, my middle and high school drama teachers, have changed my life! They have taught me to love theatre and have mentored me to be the person, performer, and Christian I am today.”

Caroline Burnett - West University Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, St. John’s School

Caroline Burnett is headed to Northwestern University to study International relations. She says: “The teacher who has impacted my life the most is Dr. Kristiane Stapleton. I had her for my Junior AP English class at St. John's, and then I had her again first semester senior year for Shakespeare. She made a subject I started out not liking really interesting.” 

Andrew "Gray" Campbell - Meadow Wood Elementary School, Spring Forest Middle School, Stratford High School 

Andrew "Gray" Campbell is headed to Baylor University to study Music/Composition. When asked who his favorite teacher is, he says: “Mr. Kelly Harkins - Theater at Spring Forest actually got me into theater - for real.”

Aidan Clark - Horn Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, St. Thomas High School

Aidan Clark is off to The University of Mississippi and will major in either Philosophy or Biology. He says: “Mr. Dooley was my sophomore Spanish teacher at St. Thomas High School. He gave me a new perspective on determination and not giving up...he also thought I was funny! Even though he left St. Thomas, he flew in from Atlanta to attend my Eagle Scout ceremony at the beginning of my senior year.” 

Allison Clark - St. Vincent de Paul School, St. Agnes Academy 

Allison Clark is off to The University of Texas at Austin and will join the Plan II Honors program. She says; “In my junior year of St. Agnes, I choose to take a Human Rights elective taught by Carleen Raymond. Before this class, I had no understanding of the human rights violations actively taking place in the world, and that had taken place throughout history. Ms. Raymond's passion for the subject created a comfortable and exciting learning environment amongst the students in my classroom. She taught lessons which incorporated the students—she was talking with us not to us. She took our class on field trips to better understand the state of human trafficking in our city, she set up Socratic style seminars in which students could better understand others’ opinions, and her teaching mechanisms pushed me and my classmates to want to create change in the world. She went above and beyond teaching by becoming a support system for our class—she was someone we could talk to. Through her teaching of this elective, I discovered my true passion for community outreach and creating small and large changes involving the state of our world which I continued after this course.” 

Jared Clark – Horn Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Bellaire High School 

Jared Clark is headed to Trinity University and will major in Business. He says: “Mrs. Michelle Shoulders was my AP [assistant principal] at Bellaire HS and I met her during my sophomore year. She supported me both academically and in my athletic endeavors. She enabled me to introduce other students to the sport of triathlon by being the sponsor and inspiring us since she is an Ironman. She is now the principal at Pin Oak Middle School, but she was still instrumental in helping me with my college applications.” 

Justin Clark – Horn Elementary School and Crossroads School, Crossroads, St. Pius X High School  

Justin Clark is off to Texas Tech University. He says: “Aiden Sprung was my dyslexia tutor for 1.5 years using the Neuhaus approach when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade. I never thought I would enjoy reading for fun. The first time I stayed up late reading a book my mom actually cried tears of joy.”

Esmé Conkright - Castle Rock Elementary / Meadow Wood Elementary School, Spring Forest Middle School, Stratford High School 

Esmé Conkright is headed to Colorado School of Mines to study Chemical Engineering. She says her favorite teacher was “Mrs. Laura Trimarco, 3rd grade home room teacher at Castle Rock Elementary in Castle Rock, Colorado. She was the first teacher who truly believed I was bright and got me to see myself in that manner. Without her, I'm not sure I would have considered academics as an area in which I would excel.”

Cameron Cooley - Bunker Hill Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School 

Cameron Cooley is off to University of Mississippi and will major in Photojournalism. She says: “I can't choose just one [favorite teacher]! Sasha Luther Johnson and Leslie Russell have been two constant teachers in my life who have helped me navigate through middle school and high school. I could not have excelled in math (Mrs. Johnson) or reading/English (Ms. Russell) without them!” 

Milan Crespo - Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart

Milan Crespo is heading to Kenyon College and will major in Economics/English. She says; “Dr. Alexandra Ferretti from the Language Arts department because she taught me how to analyze all sides of an argument and taught me to appreciate literature.”

Andrew Duong - West University Elementary School, Pershing Middle School, St. John’s School

Andrew Duong is headed to Trinity University to study Biology. He says his favorite teacher was “Matthieu Pritchett, track coach from 9th grade to 12th grade. While not exactly a teacher, he taught me life lessons. Because of him, I lost 25 lbs. and still think I can do anything I set my mind to.” 

Nicolas Feder - St. Francis Episcopal School, The Awty International School  

Nicolas Feder is heading to Georgetown University and will participate in the School of Foreign Service. He says: “Ms. Lydia Peeran at The Awty International School changed my career intentions because of the way she motivated us to question the effects of Multi-National Corporations in developing nations. Her passion in this topic motivated me to pursue a career in international development in order to establish more symbiotic relationships between large corporations and rural farmers in developing nations.” 

Mees Franssen – Piasau School (Malaysia), Dubai British School (Dubai), British International School of Houston

Mees Franssen is heading to University of Toronto to study Mechanical Engineering. Mees says: “Mr. Danny Butcher was my chemistry teacher in my early years of high school in the British School. His energy and enthusiasm for the subject was very inspirational and made me look forward to chemistry.” 

Alex Frumovitz - The Kinkaid School 

Alex Frumovitz is headed to University of Pennsylvania. He says: “In first grade, I lost my tooth in the middle of Ms. Mary Buettner's reading of The Princess and the Pea. I raised my hand to announce it to the class, but she told me to wait until after the reading. So, I sat there quietly with my tooth in my hand and went up to her later. She was so shocked and pleased that I didn't interrupt her that she gave me the coolest tooth carrier to take home, and it was that day I truly learned the value of patience.”

Megan Garney - St. Thomas More Parish School, Incarnate Word Academy 

Megan Garney is headed to University of Arkansas Honors College to study Nursing. She says: “The teacher who changed my life was Mr. Mark Richardson. I had him as a teacher at Incarnate Word Academy during my sophomore (World History) and senior year (Economics/Government). He was different than other teachers I had because he cared about his students. He wanted the best for us and wanted us to succeed. He also would give us life lessons about the future that will help us become adults.” 

Sammy Gerber - River Oaks Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, The Emery/Weiner School 

Sammy Gerber is off to Rhodes College to study Environmental Science. He says: “My 3rd grade teacher Ms. Dotti Price at River Oaks Elementary. She taught me to enjoy writing, and she always played the guitar first thing every day.” 

Annie Goss - Wilchester Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School

Annie Goss is off to Northwestern University to study Human Development and Psychological Studies. She says: “Cindy Dionne who I had in 2nd grade at Wilchester Elementary School changed my life because she gave me the confidence to be who I am. She was caring and kind, and she made every single person feel important.” 

Lila Gutman - The Briarwood School  

Lila Gutman is heading to Arizona State University to study Nursing. She says: “The teacher who changed my life was Mr. Scott Finger. He was my freshman math teacher at The Briarwood School. He taught math with such a passion and made learning the subject fun. Aside from being a great teacher, he also helped me when times got tough and listened to whatever grievance I had. He gave me solid advice that I remember to this day.” 

Megan Hale – Homeschool

Megan Hale is heading to Baylor University to pursue the Pre-Med path with a major in Health Science Studies. She says: “A teacher who changed my life was my science teacher in 9th grade, Mrs. Jan Snow from when I took science classes at a homeschool co-op called PREP. She was the one who truly gave me my love and fascination for science. She encouraged and pushed me to work hard and diligently in everything I did.” 

Alexandra Herrera - Annunciation Orthodox School, Episcopal High School  

Alexandra Herrera is headed to Brown University to study Biology. She says: “My 6th English teacher and advisor at AOS Mrs. Donna Baughman told me that I should speak up more in class, so from that point forward I made it a point to raise my hand and vocally participate in all of my classes.” 

Celia Houston - Saint Thomas' Episcopal School 

Celia Houston is headed to the United States Coast Guard Academy to study Marine Engineering and Navel Architecture. She says: “Mr. Kevin Gray was my AP Human Geography teacher junior year. He showed me the beauty in other cultures, languages, and countries. He gave learning a different dimension and opened up so many new ways that I see the world. He is the reason I started traveling and exploring different cultures around the world. I am constantly referencing what I learned in his classes in everyday life when experiencing people with different backgrounds, places with foreign concepts, and situations with unfamiliar customs.“

Jordan Killinger - Epiphany Lutheran School, Lutheran High North  

Jordan Killinger is heading to Rice University to study English and Biology. She says: “My eighth grade English teacher at Epiphany Lutheran School, Mrs. Melissa Smith, taught me a new definition of the phrase, ‘changing the world.’ I do not have to be known across the world in order to change it; I can change the world by simply making a difference in one person's life, therefore changing their world and the world around them.” 

Mackenzie Kim - Veritas Christian Academy, Second Baptist School  

Mackenzie Kim is off to Baylor University to study Business. She says: “Second Baptist School's Brandon Alred taught my eleventh grade Biblical Exposition. Mr. Alred changed my life by encouraging me to change my perspective on life. In his class, my passion to live life boldly grew.” 

Eden Lagnado - Robert M. Beren Academy, Bellaire High School  

Eden Lagnado is headed to University of Texas at Austin and will major in Environmental Science. She says: “My junior year in high school I took AP Environmental Science. I really enjoyed the class, and it made me interested in the subject and [made me] later decide to major in it as well. My teacher Mr. David Cheshire made the class very hands-on, interesting, and prepared us for the AP test.” 

Arthur Levy - Robert M. Beren Academy, The Emery/Weiner School  

Arthur Levy is headed to University of Texas at Austin to study Public Health. He says his favorite teacher was “Jennifer Williams, Emery/Weiner School. I have hated reading all my life, and I still mostly do, but she taught me to appreciate reading and the significance of its specific rhetoric. Additionally, she taught me to appreciate much of the world around me I had not noticed before, such as art, short stories, poems, and film. In the past two years that I have had her, I can confidently say I am a much more mature and developed reader, movie analyst, and writer.” 

Natalia Maria Martin De Valmaseda - Lord Roberts Elementary School (Vancouver), Sentinel Secondary School (Vancouver), The Village School 

Natalia Maria Martin De Valmaseda is heading to Universidad Francisco De Vitoria in Madrid, Spain. She says: “A teacher that influenced me was my fifth grade teacher from Lord Roberts Elementary named Blaine Flewin who taught us every subject. He was very down to earth and approached learning in a very casual manner while also having fun in the class, as he would play his guitar and give us jelly beans whenever we did something good in class. He taught me that there is no failure, only success from the bad moments.” 

Mariah Mason - Memorial Drive Elementary School, Spring Branch Middle School, St. Pius X High School 

Mariah Mason is heading to Mississippi State University to study Agribusiness. She says her favorite teacher is “my senior AP English teacher Christina Guajardo because she cares for her students’ academic and emotional well-being.” 

Sydney McConn - West University Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Lamar High School  

Sydney McConn is heading to University of Texas at Austin. She says: “A teacher who has changed my life is Christi Cobb. She is my 12th grade English teacher at Lamar High School. She has taught me, along with our entire class, what it is truly like to work hard without complaining. She has taught us how to have fun and enjoy the work that we are doing, while also disciplining ourselves to stay on task.” 

Connor McGovern - St. Martha Catholic School, St. Thomas High School  

Connor McGovern is heading to University of Missouri to study Journalism. He says: “My fourth-grade teacher at St. Martha Catholic School, Kerry Daigre, changed my life by inspiring my love for reading and writing. I was discouraged with the subject of English alltogether, but everything changed when she bought me a set of Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice books. I fell in love with reading and writing and this passion has only grown since.”

Caroline Moseley – The Kinkaid School 

Caroline Moseley is heading to Northwestern University to study Theatre while following the Pre-med track. She says her favorite teacher is “Ms. Barbara Cooney in the 6th grade at The Kinkaid School. Her class was the toughest—but most rewarding—course I've ever taken. I wanted to please her so badly, but I soon came to the realization that sometimes you have to do the best that you can and accept what happens. You can't always control the outcome, but you can always control your attitude!” 

Dennis Mueller - Vardenes Skole (Norway), The Village School

Dennis Mueller is headed to University of Stavanger (Norway). He says his favorite teacher is “Ms. Christine Galib from The Village School. She taught me to show what I know, how to use my knowledge in real life and taught me to stand up and present myself. I had her as a teacher during my sophomore year for Entrepreneurship.” 

Katherine Munson - Walker Station Elementary School, The Briarwood School  

Katherine Munson is heading to Texas Tech University. She says: “My former Drama teacher/Theater Director Ms. Cindy Alexander changed my life in my freshman year of high school at The Briarwood School. During theater practice, she told all the cast and crew a life lesson. It was to try anything at least once. That really affected me. I like to stay in my comfort zone a lot, but when Ms. A told us that, I changed over the course of two years. I was a very picky eater, but now I like to try new things when it comes to food and to try new activities. I will try anything at least once.” 

Michelle Mut - Poe Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, Lamar High School  

Michelle Mut is headed to Washington University in St. Louis to study Biology on a Pre-Med track. She says: “Ms. Debbie Elafros, the violin teacher I’ve been taking lessons with since 1st grade, has changed my life. She introduced me to my greatest passion and has encouraged my growth and success for the past 12 years. In the process, she has become a wonderful friend as well my most influential teacher.” 

Nicole Mut – Poe Elementary School, Lanier Middle School, Lamar High School 

Nicole Mut is headed to Washington University in St. Louis. She says: “When I had Ms. Julie St. George in the fifth grade at Poe Elementary, she encouraged me to enter a STEM contest. This sparked my interest in STEM and renewable energy that has led me to pursue engineering.”

Sophie Newell - Second Baptist School 

Sophie Newell is headed to Drexel University and will major in International Business. She says: “While I was in fourth grade at Second Baptist School, my swim coach Jane Swanson intensified my passion for competitive swimming.”

Damian Patronella - St. Michael Catholic School, St. Thomas High School 

Damian Patronella is headed to Texas Tech and will major in Business. He says: “Coach Brett Mills at St. Thomas High School (US History teacher, junior year). Coach Mills was the first teacher to treat me like a man and not a child. He had expectations for me and my classmates, and we enjoyed meeting those expectations.” 

Elyse Pedrick - Annunciation Orthodox School, Episcopal High School

Elyse Pedrick is headed to Wake Forest University to study Business. She says: "My third-grade teacher at AOS, Mrs. A.T (Amber Tate) Williams, was the first teacher to make me feel confident in who I was as a person and as a student. She always encouraged me to embrace the parts of myself I wanted to hide and made me feel proud of my academic achievements.

Alison Purcell - Condit Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Carnegie Vanguard High School 

Alison Purcell is headed to The University of Texas at Austin; she will be part of the Plan II Honors program and will study Biology. She says her favorite teachers is “Either Ms. Morgan Bryan from Condit ES (3rd grade math and science, 5th grade self-contained [taught all classes for Alison that year]), who took the time to really connect with me not just as a student but as a human being, or Ms. Jamie Ford from Carnegie Vanguard HS (Cross Country Coach, 11th grade Anatomy and Physiology), who helped me grow and improve as a student and as a leader.” 

Ana Rojas - Assumption Catholic School, Young Women's College Preparatory Academy, Lamar High School

Ana Rojas is off to University of Houston. She says her favorite teacher is “Sarah May Campbell from Young Women's College Prep Academy. She was my English teacher in 8th grade. That woman was one of the sweetest teachers I have ever had. She was so caring, and she spoke to us with such care, she honestly felt like a second mom to me. She would ask how we were doing, would give us food whenever we needed it, and she just always had this hyper and amazing attitude that just really stuck with me through high school. Even on her bad days she still had an amazing smile and would always push us to learn more. One quote that she taught us, and I will never forget it, is ‘work smarter, not harder’ and I thought how amazing that quote is.” 

Manasi Rungta - Condit Elementary School, The Village School 

Manasi Rungta is headed to Baylor University to study Pre-Med/Biology. She says: “Mrs. Alicia Merrifield, my yearbook teacher from The Village School has truly impacted my life. I have known Mrs. M for five years, and she has always been there for me. Throughout these five years of knowing her, she has truly taught me to paint my own flamingo, and this is something I will remember the rest of my life. She is one of those great teachers, the kind you never forget.”

Ethan Samuels - The Shlenker School, The Emery/Weiner School  

Ethan Samuels is off to Amherst College and will double major in Economics and Film & Media Studies. He says: “Ms. Linda Robbins — my science teacher from kindergarten to 5th grade at the Shlenker School — kept me excited to walk into the classroom every day. Because of her, I developed a passion for learning, creating, and exploring.

Shaan Sheikh - Sleepy Hollow Elementary School (Dundee, Ill.), Dundee Middle School (Dundee, Ill.), Bellaire High School

Shaan Sheikh is headed to University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to study Political Science. “Matthew Hammon, my government teacher at Bellaire High School in the 12th grade influenced me by exposing me to the raw science of government and presenting the facts and figures of political science in a very straightforward and interesting way.” 

Parker Sizemore - Horn Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Bellaire High School 

Parker Sizemore is heading to The University of Texas at San Antonio to study Nutritional Science. She says her favorite teacher is “Evelyn Gates, Horn Elementary, Kindergarten. Ms. Gates was one of those teachers that you always wanted to have, and when I wasn’t put in her class, I didn’t really know what to expect for a six-year-old. I was extremely lucky to meet my best friend in that class, and the way that she influenced all of her students was by giving us not one single reason to not be happy. She is truly a gift, and I am extremely grateful for the experiences that I was given.” 

Susan Soh - Hunters Creek Elementary School, Spring Branch Middle School, Memorial High School 

Susan Soh is heading to University of Mississippi and will be part of the Honors College. She plans to major in International Studies, Business and Chinese. She says her favorite teachers are “Nancy Wiech (Kindergarten at Hunters Creek Elementary School) who encouraged me to think big; Rachel Odom (3rd grade at Hunters Creek) who paid enough attention to me to realize I had vision issues despite being in a class of 30 kids; and Eleanor Dickey (8th grade GT US History at Spring Branch Middle School) who showed me it was cool to be a nerd.”

Anna Sotiriades - Condit Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Bellaire High School

Anna Sotiriades is headed to Trinity University to study Biology. She says: “Michelle Driscoll is the teacher that influenced my life the most. She was my kindergarten teacher at Condit Elementary, and has been a part of my life ever since, supporting me and watching me graduate from 5th grade, 8th grade, and now high school. “ 

Whitney Thode - Second Baptist School, Southwest Christian School (Fort Worth, TX), Second Baptist School  

Whitney Thode is heading to Baylor University. She’ll be part of the Business Fellows program, majoring in Biology, Spanish, and Business on the pre-med track. She says: “While taking AP Biology my 11th grade year, I saw how intriguing and awesome science was under the teaching of Mrs. Meredith Offenbacher at Second Baptist. She truly made biology come to life, but more than just teaching us, she cared about us and our successes, in and out of the classroom. To give a glimpse into her desire to watch us succeed, she invited our whole class to Tout Suite the Saturday before our AP Test to study, and she made us study packets to review.” 

Kelly Thomas - Veritas Christian Academy, St. Agnes Academy 

Kelly Thomas is heading to Northeastern University to study Journalism. She says: “A teacher who changed my life was Mrs. Kim Berger, who I had for both 2nd and 4th grade at Veritas Christian Academy. She was always there for me with a loving smile, endless support, and a shelf full of fascinating books.”

Sarah Tomlinson - Condit Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Gateway Academy  

Sarah Tomlinson is off to University of St. Thomas to study Studio Arts. She says: “My eleventh grade English teacher at Gateway Academy, Ms. Sadie Blount, was such a hugely positive force in my development as a person. She respected and treated me as an individual and a nearly-fully-formed person, even though I was far from it. She was the person I went to when I wanted to do an adult action for the first time—getting a job. I had no experience writing a resume, interviewing for a job and didn’t know what applying would even look like. She helped me master all of those, and I went into my job interview as confident as a seventeen year old can be.”

Carson Traylor - Longfellow Elementary School, Johnston Middle School, Alexander Smith Academy

Carson Traylor is heading to University of Houston to study Business Management. He said his favorite teacher is “my high school principal and senior year AP Literature teacher, Pam Ramuea. From the beginning, she showed consistent faith in my success which gave me motivation to work hard in school. Outside of academics she continually checked on my general well-being and was a great person to talk through a lot of problems. She is truly a great mentor to young people.” 

Gabriel Perez Ouhirra - The Village School, American School of The Hague, The Village School 

Gabriel Perez Ouhirra is headed to Berklee College of Music to study Jazz Performance on Vibraphone. He says: “My English teacher in 10th grade (John Talbot) was a pivotal person in my life. He seems to be a lot like who I may be in the future, and his absolute confidence in his identity inspired me to be myself at all times regardless of adversity.” 

Charlie Vaquero - St. Michael Catholic School, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory 

Charlie Vaquero is headed to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He says: “The teacher that has made probably the greatest impact on my life is my sophomore and junior year English teacher, Mr. Peter Nurre. In class, our topics of conversation would rarely stay on the source material of the literature, quickly becoming debates on ethics, morality, and the state of our country. We always had a great relationship, although we did not always agree on everything. He taught me to think critically and always question things in a critical yet respectful manner. In Language and Composition, I openly debated him at length concerning guns and the military. Our discussions were fruitful, and both of our outlooks were shifted for the better. He has moved away from Houston, back home to Wisconsin, in order to start a family.”

Isabel Vierra - Wilchester Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Stratford High School

Isabel Vierra is headed to Villanova University to study Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience. She says: “Mr. (Ryan) Cozad was my sophomore year algebra II, and junior year pre-cal teacher at Stratford. He is the first teacher I have ever had who genuinely cared about not only the subject he taught, but also the students in his classes. He recognized that I had an ear for sarcasm and relentlessly tried to make me laugh every school day. He started every day off by telling my class ‘my people, my people - the sun is always shining when we're together.’ He changed my entire perspective on how a teacher could reach their students, and I loved and laughed through every minute.” 

Tessa Walter - Herod Elementary School, Pin Oak Middle School, Bellaire High School

Tessa Walter is headed to Louisiana State University and says her favorite teacher is "James Scott, Bellaire High School technical theatre teacher. Mr. Scott not only educates his students in his given subject but also teaches them how to be genuine and caring human beings."

Crystal Wang - Brookwood Elementary School, Memorial Middle School, Memorial High School

Crystal Wang is headed to Harvard University to study Economics/Public Policy. She says: “Can I pick more than one? Truly though, so many amazing teachers have touched me in immeasurable ways. In 7th grade at Memorial Middle School, I'd have to say Mrs. Michelle Arastu was one of the most impactful teachers I've ever had. She pushed me to my creative lengths and saw a type of leadership potential in me that I hadn't yet developed. I even came back to be her teacher aid the next year too.” 

Lizzie Wiesen - Second Baptist School 

Lizzie Wiesen is headed to The University of Texas at Austin and will major in Public Relations. She says her favorite teachers are “Mr. Brandon Alred (11th grade Bible) and Mrs. Elizabeth Dains (10th grade World and Geographical Studies II)! These teachers poured into their students and made us feel so wanted. They gave us so much life advice, and I still go see them during my off-time just to talk.”

Jill Williams - St. Thomas Episcopal 

Jill Williams is headed to Texas State University - The Honors College to study International Business. She says: “Sunny Sun, St. Thomas Episcopal, Chinese and AP Human geography is the teacher I got closest with. She was always available for help and was flexible and understood when I was having any issues in school. She always pushed me to improve and never let me settle for mediocrity.”