By Julia Peacock, 9-10th Grade English Teacher, Spring Arbor, MI:

When I decided to become a teacher, I believed it was about me changing the lives of students. What I’ve learned – what has been so unexpected – is that my students have changed my life! First of all, it’s not about changing students, it’s about empowering them to find the strength and power that has been inside of them all along. It’s empowering them to believe in themselves as human beings. That is a lesson they taught me. Hearing them voice their concerns over the issues they are facing, their community, and their world opened my eyes to their sense of right and wrong. I am constantly amazed and awed by how powerful young people are and how primed they are to make a difference if they just have someone who says, “Yes! You can!”