I vividly remember the day I was sitting on my couch and my mom walked up to hand me a card. It was April of my sophomore year, during the covid shutdown, and I was a week out from a major hip surgery. Naturally, I was expecting a letter from a family member, but to my surprise, it was from Mr. Reichle. He wrote me a letter, wishing me a speedy recovery and expressing his interest in my life outside the classroom. After a hard week of pain and restlessness, that was exactly what I needed.

I had Mr. Reichle for one semester of western civ at Arrowhead High School, and that semester was when we were forced to do virtual learning. Even though my time with him was short, I knew he cared about me as a student and as a person. After every class and every zoom call, he would always ask how I was doing, and I would sit in his zoom call and talk to him well into my next class period. We talked about everything from history to pets to sports. At a time when I couldn’t see my friends, Mr. Reichle was there to comfort me. He didn’t just treat me like a student, he treated me as a friend, and it’s a feeling I will never forget.

I’m not saying that my other teachers didn’t care about me, but Mr. Reichle was the only one who reached out to make sure I was ok, and I will never forget the effort he made (the card he sent still sits on my desk). I was going through a very hard time in my life. It felt like the whole world was against me, and the comfort that Mr. Reichle provided was enough to make a big impact on my life.

The energy that Mr. Reichle brings to class every day is simply unmatched. Some people find European history boring, but Mr. Reichle made western civ a class I looked forward to. Even when we were forced to go virtual, he still taught with the same passion and enthusiasm. It’s safe to say that Mr. Reichle loves history, and his passion for the subject made his class extremely enjoyable and something that I was excited to learn.

To this day, I walk past him in the hallways and I’m always greeted with a “hello” and a smile. Even after just a semester of being in his class, virtual learning and all, he still remembers me. I think that is extremely impressive given how many students he’s had over his many years of teaching, and it just goes to show that extra bit of effort that Mr. Reichle makes to connect with his students and try to make learning something that’s easy-going and fun.

With that, I want to say thank you, Mr. Reichle. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will never forget the letter you sent me after my surgery, your effort did not go unnoticed. Thank you for being a teacher that’s passionate and energetic. Thank you for being a good person, and for treating every student as more than just a student. I will never forget the impact you had on me.