I was only nine years old when I met one of my favorite teachers. I had walked into that fourth grade classroom, excited to see all of my friends. I could care less about who was teaching us. That used to be the case; until I met Ms. Monette.  While other teachers were judged on how many games they played, she was the best, even without activities.

At our school, we had a contest on who could recycle the most. Each class competed on our organizing and recycling skills, which was part of our science curriculum. Unlike most of the teachers, Ms.Monette treated this as more than a game. She taught us about the effects of recycling and she was in charge of the recycling group at our school. Along with softball and teaching, this was her passion.

I was ten when Ms. Monette moved. It was during COVID-19 and at the time, she was no longer my teacher. When we heard this news, my friend and I were still heartbroken. We  wanted our siblings to have her and to see her at every open house. With her moving, we wouldn’t get that. When we were called to our friend's street, we were skeptical. What were we doing here and what were we waiting for? A couple minutes later, a black SUV pulls up. Before I even saw her face, I was consumed with excitement. It was Ms.Monette. She took the time out of her day to visit a couple of her old students, just to say goodbye. That proved that Ms.Monette was truly the kind and thoughtful person we knew her as.

Ms. Monette was a teacher for many reasons. Everybody knew it wasn’t for money or because it was easy. It was so she could make a change. When she was younger, her sister couldn’t read well. Her teacher didn’t care and embarrassed her by making her read in front of the entire class. Ms. Monette hated that the teacher was that ignorant and put her sister through so much pain and embarrassment. Ms. Monette didn’t want any other student to ever feel that way. So, she became a teacher and if anybody was struggling with a topic, she was always there to provide extra help. Nobody walked out of that classroom feeling like they couldn’t learn anything.

I was a different person after my fourth grade year. When I walked into that classroom for the first time, I didn’t care about feminism or the community. All I liked were dolls and video games. When I walked out, my life was changed forever. I met a forever friend, won a robotics competition, created a project that helped animals, and truly believed that whatever men could do, women could also. I wouldn’t be who I was today without Ms.Monette. Neither would any of her students because she never let any kid go without feeling loved and passionate about what they believed in. She inspired everyone.