I sat at home selecting my courses for sophomore year, most of which were planned out, until I realized I needed to take a science class. I asked my parents for their opinion.

My mom turned her head towards my dad. Without hesitation he said, “Take honors biology. I have four sections of it this year.”

My mind spun for a second before I questioned, “Is it a difficult class since its honors?”

Reassuringly, my dad replied with, “It is for people who want to learn and you do.”

My decision complete, I tried to imagine my dad as my teacher. Would it be weird or awkward? Would he pick on me? Will I be able to pass his class? How will I address him? Little did I know he would become one of my favorite teachers.

When the first day of school came at Arrowhead High School, sophomore year, I arrived nearly an hour before start time with my dad, Mr. Mechenich. Each morning before school, I stayed in my dad's classroom with him. Having my dad at school gave me comfort and I knew he was always down the hall if I needed something.

Each day students, filed into his classroom (chatty, coming from lunch) ready for another class. Most classes, my dad greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile; other times, he wasn’t at the door. Instead, he would have his long, light blue lab coat and clear protective goggles on preparing for a lab. Test tubes, microscopes, and other equipment lined the tables. The whole class squirmed eager to begin the lab.

Lab days were exciting because we got to do hands-on activities like dissecting or peering into a microscope—but they were also social, the class crammed around lab tables.

Every class, he taught with excitement like he caught the biggest fish in the lake. He teaches with an engaging voice accompanied by hand gestures and pictures and videos. I can tell he enjoys teaching biology.

One class, I remember distinctly. My dad was ecstatic about teaching glycolysis. He pulled up a YouTube video: a rap about glycolysis.

The class went into laughter listening to the hilarious yet educational rap and by the end of the video everyone was singing along “Glycolysis! Come on sugar. Come on sugar, for the breakdown. For the breakdown.”

For the rest of the school year, the song popped back into my head and I easily remembered what glycolysis was (the breakdown of glucose by enzymes). This is just one example of how my dad taught his class each day captivating the attention of the students and providing a fun and exciting learning environment.

In addition to his dedication in the classroom, my dad puts in so much of his additional time to plan for his students. At home, he finds new content for his students and plans the next day’s lesson. I remember occasionally hearing random songs coming from the other room only to realize it was my dad watching new videos for his class.

He does all of this in addition to taking care of my family and me. He often cooks dinner and drives my brothers and me places. Not only is my dad a phenomenal teacher and father, but he also an astonishing coach. Over the years, he coached basketball and softball. He coached my middle school basketball team as well as the teams for both of my younger brothers. Most recently, he led my brother’s team to winning the championship.

He coached my softball team for a couple of years also. Regardless of the sport, he pushes his athletes to do their best and work hard. He finds new drills to run, games to play, and he always has a practice plan ready to go before.

My dad is not only a teacher, but also a father and a coach to hundreds of students and athletes, encouraging each one to work their hardest. As for myself, I am not much different. I think about the questions I asked myself before the start of my sophomore year (I am now a junior) and realize I should not have worried about anything. He is still my father, my coach, and now my teacher.