I remember the first day of seventh grade. It was my first day attending Richmond School, as I previously went to Merton School. I woke up to the sound of my alarm screeching and realized it was time to get ready. As my anxiety kicked in, thoughts—Am I going to make new friends? Will I like the classes? Will I like the teachers?—flooded my head.

After getting ready, my mom dropped me off. I walked up the stairs of the unfamiliar hallways and people to my locker. After putting my backpack in my locker, my first class was Geography located in the computer lab. Right when I walked in, I noticed my teacher: Mr. Leland.

Mr. Leland looked fresh out of college in his mid 20s. He was about 5’8” and lean. He had a light orange/brown beard with a short hairstyle.

He introduced himself saying, “Hello class. Welcome to seventh grade geography. I am Mr. Leland. I will start off class by doing attendance....”

I could sense he was soft spoken and relaxed. I could also tell he was passionate. He had interest in history, geography, engineering, and sports, which are interests we shared. He then took attendance and gave us our assigned seats.

I remember when he got to my name. “Brenden Paddock,” he said in a faint voice.

“Here,” I said nervously.

Mr. Leland looked at me somewhat startled. “Are you new here?”

I replied, saying yes shyly.

“Nice to meet you!” he said energetically.

This sparked a conversation as we continued to talk about our summers, mutual interests, my older brother (who he taught last year), and it got to the point where we had to stop talking so he could continue class. The stress and anxiety escaped my body faster than a cheetah because of him.

Mr. Leland was not only my middle school social studies teacher but I also look at him as a friend. He is passionate about making kids feel involved and he enjoyed what he was teaching. He is knowledgeable, yet humble in his teaching style.

During lunch and other hours (not during history class), we would bounce off random facts about World War II or the subject we were learning. Mr. Leland is humorous and outgoing, as we clashed between liking different sports teams.

As seventh and eighth grade came to an end, a memory with Mr. Leland at graduation is still vivid in my mind When the ceremony ended, I made sure I said goodbye to all the teachers I had.

When I had time to see Mr. Leland, I shook his hand firmly saying, “Thank you for all that you have done for me at Richmond.”

He smiled and replied, “Brenden, it was a pleasure having you. Come back and visit next year to let me know how you are doing!”

That made me happier than a six-year-old boy on Christmas morning. That comment reassured me he cared more than about my success in school, but he cared about my overall well-being.

Mr. Leland and I still talk to this day. It has been over a year since I last saw him, but I am hoping to get one last chance to see him before I head off to college.

Thank you, Mr. Leland, for demonstrating leadership inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you, Mr. Leland, for making history an interesting topic. Most of all, thank you, Mr. Leland, for being a friend and someone I can trust.