The first day of high school is nerve-racking for everyone. I remember walking through the doors and just wanting to go home. I felt as if I didn’t belong, especially at Delaware Military Academy. Naval Science was the class I was dreading most – the class with push-ups and drills and everything I wasn’t used to. Surprisingly, I left that class so comfortable and ready for the next four years of high school, and I have Master Sergeant Howie to thank for that.

Since this was Master Sergeant Howie’s first year teaching at Delaware Military Academy, I couldn’t ask any upperclassmen about him. I wasn’t too excited about walking into something completely unknown. I’m not going to lie – when I first saw Master Sergeant, I was scared. He’s this giant 6'7", muscular guy. I never imagined he would be the teacher I’d end up most comfortable with.

Even after the first class, which was just an introduction, I already knew that this was going to be the class I would enjoy the most. He told us he knew we were going to make mistakes and mess up at times, but he explained he would never hold our mistakes against us. He said that even though this wasn’t a class where we’d learn how to divide pi or understand how to make connections with the main character in a book, this class was still important because he was going to give us advice and teach us about the basics of life. He would teach us about relationships, trust, forgiveness, regret, hate, love, about how to make decisions that would make us a better person.

Master Sergeant finds a way to make us relate to everything he teaches. He tells us stories about his time in the service that relate to our lessons. He makes us think and realize that there’s always more to someone or something than what meets the eye.

Master Sergeant genuinely cares. He doesn’t want his students to fail. If there’s something happening at home and you can’t complete an assignment, he wants you to tell him so he can help. If you’re having a problem, he’s there. Your schoolwork isn’t all that matters to him. You matter to him. He cares about you. He assured us that if there ever were a time when we needed to talk and felt no one was there for us, he would be. “These giant arms are capable of hugging,” he said. I’ll never forget him telling us that; that was the moment I knew he really cared and wanted only the best for us.

In Master Sergeant’s class, I felt safe. If our lives were on the line, he would protect us. He makes the classroom a safe place to voice opinions and feelings. I have never felt judged in his class, never felt I should hold back because I might be wrong. Nothing you say is ever thrown under the rug or forgotten. He cares about how you feel, and if you have something to say, he wants it to be heard. He teaches us that we’re not going to get anywhere in life if we sit back and don’t believe in what we have to offer. Sometimes I second-guess myself; I’m always that person who raises her hand, gets called on, and says “Never mind.” Master Sergeant never lets me second-guess myself. He forces me to voice my opinion and expects all of his cadets to believe in themselves.

Master Sergeant isn’t the “typical” teacher. He doesn’t just teach a lesson, give a test, and move on. Instead he teaches a lesson, makes us think about how it relates to the real world, gives us stories and examples about how it actually does relate, and makes us think about how we’ll carry that knowledge for the rest of our lives. He makes us realize that not everything we’ve been told or everything we believe in will stay the same. “As your views on life change, your life will start to change too,” he explains. He says there will always be bumps in the road, and we’re all going to make mistakes because, let’s face it, we’re all human. There’s going to come a time where it feels as if there’s too much change happening too fast, but Master Sergeant will always be there for us because he genuinely cares. I believe this is the most important thing a teacher can give to his or her students – not a 100 percent on a test or a pat on the back for a job well done but genuine love and support.

I hope one day I can affect someone’s life just as Master Sergeant has affected mine. And when I’m a senior and scared freshmen come up to me, asking me about Master Sergeant Howie, the first thing I’ll say will be, “You will absolutely love him.” I’ll tell them that he’ll always be there to help them and that no matter what mistakes they make, he’ll do whatever he can to see them strive for their best. I’m sure that if those freshmen are fortunate enough to have the same experience as me, they will nominate Master Sergeant Howie for Educator of the Year as well.