Daughter - Anushay (Class of 2018) 

Ms. Ingwerson was my senior year calculus teacher, but to me she was much more than that. I was terrible at math and struggled with understanding the concepts during class. Ms. Ingwerson took time out of her evenings to tutor me one-on-one after school. She didn’t have to do that. She just really wanted to see me succeed, and knew I needed a little more help. When I forgot my calculator before my IB math exam, I ran to her classroom without hesitation. Ms. Ingwerson handed me the calculator she was using, gave me a hug for encouragement, and wished me good luck as I ran out the door. I passed that exam, just like she believed I could.

When I forgot my lunch at home, Ms. Ingwerson gave me five bucks without hesitation. When I got into Butler, she was the first teacher I told. She was so excited for me. My last day of high school, I visited her to say goodbye and we both cried. We've kept in touch for years. 

Ms. Ingwerson wasn’t just my high school math teacher, she was a friend, an incredible mentor, and a second mom. Every one of her students is lucky to have learned from her. She made learning fun, she helped students believe in themselves, she celebrated our wins, and she listened when we struggled. It’s teachers like her that push us to strive academically. Her encouragement is the reason I pursued higher education and dream to teach at a learning hospital so that one day I can do for future physicians what she did for little, high school Anushay.

Son -  Zaid (Class of 2016)

I moved to Indiana in third grade from Maine, and it wasn't the easiest start. That changed in fourth grade when I had Mrs. Stern. Her class was so fun. She made school feel like a community, and I made good friends. We did a lot of creative projects. I remember we built roller coasters: my first introduction to applied physics.

Another teacher who made an impact on me was my seventh grade English teacher, Mr. Broviac. He had a phenomenal personality and was always there to listen to students. Seventh grade was also a time of big change and he recognized that by telling us stories from his childhood and stories about people in his life. Honestly, we learned a lot about life from the stories he told us.

In 10th grade, my English teacher, Mr. Beasley made a lasting impact on me. I was a little bit of a rascal, and he was able to put me in my place. But most importantly, he really helped me establish critical thinking skills in the context of the humanities. These skills strengthened my love of reading and reinforced my love for literature. He helped me establish a framework for how to think through any material. At the time, I didn’t fully understand why we were learning certain things, but now looking back he was helping us build some great skills. I am amazed at how intentional my teachers were but at that time, I was not able to recognize it. I see it now and I carry those lessons with me.

Those are the three HSE teachers who had the greatest impact on me. Of course, many thanks to my science and math teacher who helped me build the foundation to help me succeed in my education. Now I work as an emergency room doctor and I owe a great deal of that to my teachers. 

Daughter - Malaika (Class of 2023)

For me, the teacher that had the largest impact was Señora Meija. She had always taken the extra step with all her students. Spanish classes were incredibly engaging because of her. I struggled a lot with language and really had to work hard to learn. She was patient and her style helped me want to push myself and learn more. In senior year, for AP/IB Spanish we would have immersive conversations about culture and we would share food together. Classes are always more fun when we get to share food and talk. Her teaching style really showed me how much she understood about the language and set everyone up very well to continue pursuing their degrees in Spanish after high school.