Accounting--a class that contains formulas, taxes, payrolls and a million other boring features. Upon hearing the contents of this class, one might believe it’s as dry as a bone--but not when you have Mr. Brester as your teacher.

Who would’ve known that an outgoing, talkative, and enthusiastic teacher could make college accounting the most exciting part of my seven hour school day?

While in Mr. Brester’s class, I’m assured I will never be called Samantha; everyone has a unique nickname that although embarrassing, is guaranteed to make you smile. I go by ‘Sam I am green eggs and ham.’ He even knows what sports and extracurriculars his students take part in and he doesn’t go a day without asking for the results of these activities. Because he puts in the time to give me a nickname and is curious about the outcomes of my tennis matches, I feel like he cares about me and wants to see me be successful.

When I walk into class on Wednesdays, I find Mr. Brester screaming, “IT’S HUMP DAY” while a Geico commercial of a camel signing about Wednesdays plays in the background. This has become a regular thing his students look forward to--not because it makes us laugh, but because it reassures us we are free to be ourselves. I mean who wouldn’t feel comfortable in a classroom where the teacher is himself no matter how strange his actions might be?

Aside from the joking, Mr. Brester always makes time for us if we are falling behind. Walking into his class is as calming as a day at the spa. I know he will take time to make sure I understand the material. Almost everyday, he stays after school and keeps his door open, welcoming anyone who might need anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to finish up an assignment. This act shows how devoted he is to ensuring all his students will succeed. Having a teacher who wants me to succeed makes me feel like I can actually perform higher than my expectations and it drastically improves my worth ethic.

Every time a road block is thrown at Mr. Brester, he is able to overcome it. Last year, there were 37 kids in our class (imagine trying to keep all of these high school students focused), and our school wanted Mr. Brester to un-enroll some students from his course (due to the teacher student ratio) but he cared so much for every student that he decided to accept the task and teach all 37 high school students. This was not easy for him, but he managed to successfully educate every student while keeping everyone on task. When a teacher wants to instruct a class that large, it makes you feel like you're important because he could have forced you to drop out--but instead, he wanted you to learn no matter how difficult it was for him.

Mr. Brester--a teacher who is comical, devoted, and hardworking--has taught me that learning can be exciting and entertaining no matter how boring the subject. Not many teachers can get students to appreciate what they teach and the way they teach it, but  Mr. Brester can.  This is why I believe my 10th and 11th grade accounting teacher should be acknowledged as educator of the year.