By Kathleen Strain, Editor-in-Chief
School is a crucial part of every person’s life. Without school, how could we improve our country when the people running it don’t know how to read? Therefore, you can see why it would be important to create a good relationship with one’s teacher. How can you be learning from someone when you can’t get past the fact they gave you a detention three months ago for no reason?
Throughout the last three years of my high school experience I have created relationships with a lot of teachers, and some haven’t exactly been good ones. There is one teacher, however, who I don’t only consider my teacher, I consider her my friend. Melissa Mirabello has been one of the most considerate, thoughtful, and knowledgeable adults I have ever known in my life. Whenever I had a problem with homework, I would come to her, whenever I had a problem with a friend, I asked her for advice. Mel has been my mentor throughout my high school career.
Just recently, it has been brought to my attention that Mel will not be coming back to Berlin High school next year. The importance of next year to me is eminent. It is my senior year, my final hurrah at Berlin high school. I always thought that Mel would be there with me to help me through it. I know that sometimes you have to do what you have to do, but sometimes it’s hard when you know you are giving up a piece of your life and moving on to the next.
For those of you who know me, you know that I am highly involved within the writing scene. My plans for college involve a major in journalism. Melissa Mirabello is known as Berlin high school’s journalism teacher. She has taught me everything that I know about the subject. Her unique teaching style and ability to treat students like her fellow peers, makes her classroom a very comfortable setting. When I have been having a horrible day I know that at some point I will have Mel’s class and the day will be okay for a little while.
Mel’s sheer and utter love for newspaper instantly gives her an understanding for me. My true passion is writing. It helps me piece together my day when nothing else can. Writing has been my vacation from the world, and Mel has made it possible for me to involve that in my school career as much as possible. I’m not sure what I am going to do next year, or what level I will be at. High school has certainly been a roller coaster ride for me. I just hope I will still be able to carry out our school’s newspaper tradition, and continue writing. As for Mel, I hope she will be happy with her new job, and I hope she will help students find their inner strengths as much as she helped me.