My heroes have always been teachers. They've taught me everything I know, from reading, adding and subtracting, balancing chemical equations, finding my way by the stars, designing a centerspread, and understanding people and thinking for myself.

When I was little, I thought teachers knew everything because they knew so much. I was in constant wonder of them. As I got older, I realized that teachers were just people. For a while, I was no longer in wonder of them. But as I got into secondary school, I began to realize that although teachers had no magical powers, they were still very special people. They have an enormous capacity to care about students, and I began to see just how important that is to students. And I began to see the magic again, because when a teacher finally gets through to a student no one had been able to reach before, it truly is magic. Only magic can make a child's eyes light up the way they do when a child learns something new.

So when it came time to decide what I wanted to do with my life, there was only one obvious choice. Teachers had made the most difference in my life and were the people I respected most. Teachers were my heroes. I love learning, I love working with young people, and I love my subject areas. What else could I be but a teacher?

I had my first opportunity to teach in Nairobi, Kenya. The experience confirmed my desire to be a teacher. I enjoyed that hour of teaching each week more than anything else I did. I had fun, and I felt like I was doing something worthwhile. Moreover, the experience told me that I could be a good teacher. My students learned from me, and they enjoyed learning, which is perhaps the most important part of teaching.

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