It is universally acknowledged that high school is one of the most difficult experiences in a young person’s life. Nothing could be more intimidating for a middle schooler than confronting that vast, tumultuous sea of future responsibility. Every freshman is forced to ask themselves: Who am I going to be?

Two years ago, when I was in that position, I had no answer to that question. After spending the entirety of the 2020-2021 school year in my bedroom and attending middle school through a computer screen, I was terrified of starting high school. I could not have navigated that maelstrom if not for the guiding influence of the absolutely incredible Mr. Hanks.

In my freshman year, I was enrolled in Mr. Hanks’s 8th Period Advanced Biology, and his class was, without a doubt, one of the most valuable classes I have ever taken. Mr. Hanks did not begin biology with a lecture or worksheet. He began it with a question. At the start of each class, he would put a question on the board and then go to every table to ask for our responses. And the questions he asked — “What makes you irrationally happy?” “If a movie were made about your life, what actor would play your role?” “What is something I don’t know about you?” From the outset, I knew his class was something special: Mr. Hanks cared about each of his students as human beings.

Biology can be a complex subject, but Mr. Hanks made learning effortless with hands-on experiments and creative projects. I’ll never forget the lesson on alleles, which involved designing and drawing a monster (and yes, I still keep my illustration of Ms. Beatrice, Consumer of Worlds, in my room). Because of his continued support and enthusiasm, I found the confidence to continue to take challenging science classes. When I was a freshman, many people told me I’d fail if I signed up to take AP Environmental Science my sophomore year — but Mr. Hanks not only said I could do it but that I should. I did, and I’m so glad I took that step to learn more about the natural world. I’m currently taking AP Physics 1, and I could never have gotten here without Mr. Hanks.

But most importantly for me, he created an environment where I, a painfully shy 14-year-old, felt safe enough to make lasting friendships with my classmates. The isolating COVID-19 lockdowns had left me feeling incapable of forming meaningful human connections, but in his class, we were encouraged to collaborate and interact. My tablemates from that class remain some of my greatest friends.

Mr. Hanks is funny, genuine, and worthy of recognition. Because of his class, I know who I want to be: I’d like to be someone like Mr. Hanks.