Some view anxiety as worrying about everything, all the time. Now let me tell you what anxiety is for me. I sweat a lot, I second guess myself, I get chest pains, I get too nervous, I have trouble sleeping, I over-think things ALL the time, and my mind and body refuse to cooperate--no matter what I know is rational. Have you ever been scared by something in your life, something that you think you’ll never accomplish or overcome? Well, that explains the last five years of life. The last five years I struggled with anxiety.

Freshman year, it got the worst, I could barely come to school. I quit most of my sports, I stopped going to club meetings, and I changed as a person. It took over my life, and there was nothing I could do about it. That was, until first semester of sophomore year.

I remember walking into Mrs. Whitehaus's English room thinking, Wow, I hate new teachers and I don’t want to get to know her but I am so glad I changed my mind. She is the grooviest, most imaginative, and most inspiring teacher I have ever meet. It wasn’t just the way she taught, or the 100 different pairs of glasses she owned, it was the way she opened her arms to me.

One day she said we would be doing a speech in front of the class, and I remember running out crying because I was upset that not even the first week through her class and we had to do what I dreaded the most. She came out to talk to me and she said we would work through it together, and from that day forward we worked at it. It was a long process but each speech she pushed me further and further. She taught me how to just go up there and speak, and to not to think about anyone else watching, and to just to push through it.  For the first few speeches, she let me do them in front of just her, and every time I finished, she would have nothing but positive things to say. She would also give me things to work on for the next speech, which kept me motivated to improve.

If it weren’t for Mrs. Whitehaus, I believe that I would not be where I am today. She helped me overcome something I never thought would be possible. She gave me the confidence I have today. She worked with me, but most importantly pushed me to be great. A teacher who can help a student get past their fears is a tremendous teacher. Mrs.Whitehaus deserves this award, because she awarded me with something greater.