Mrs. Hart is such an influential educator whom I among many others admire. Mrs. Hart made my transition from middle school to high school simple. It’s perplexing to think I was the shyest girl, and eighth grade helped me to come out of my shell. School became something I looked forward to. My former school, Saint John the Beloved, along with all of its teachers prepared me for high school unlike no other.

As I was adapting to a change in the academic curriculum and a new set of teachers, people began to tell me how phenomenal the eighth grade teachers were. My expectations were fulfilled just by my first impressions of them. My social studies and religion teacher was Mrs. Hart. She did everything in her willpower to make school a convenient and pleasant experience. To kick start our year, we began to discuss the 2016 presidential election. By taking a test, we individually find out if we were Republican, Democrat, or Independent. This test was quickly referred to as the game that ruined friendships. As sides were taken and research was on its way, our classmates quickly chose who they wanted to represent the candidates. This debate took place as the political election skyrocketed. We had classmates representing Bernie Sanders and Chris Christie along with the other candidates. To hype up the value of the debate, we got dressed up as our candidates and our parties made signs. My best friend took the stand as Donald Trump, and I defended my side as Hillary Clinton. We were put on the spot to answer questions from our peers to see if we could clearly recall the information we were given. This debate made school worthwhile. Even on difficult academic topics such as The Battle of Gettysburg or The Vietnam War, Mrs. Hart managed to make a tough topic easy to understand. We went to Gettysburg to get a visual grasp on the battle. By showing us a landscape and backing it up with facts we were forced to use our imagination topicture what it was like at the battle. We also traveled to Washington DC to visit our country's valuable landmarks. We visited The Vietnam Memorial, The White House, and The Washington Monument. She always presented a perplexing and intricate topic, but she strived to make it as easy as possible.

Mrs. Hart is a well rounded caring individual. She always devoted her time in the beginning of class to respect our intentions and worldwide concerns. It doesn't matter what time of day it is, her doors are always open. When I went to visit, she kept me for days on end to discuss how I’m doing in high school, how my family is doing, and how I am doing outside of school. I always feel very important when I visit her because even when it's taking time out of her day, she still listens.

One thing that has stuck with me is the case that she always said good morning. I never fully understood why Mrs. Hart always made the effort to say good morning. She told us that she wants to remind us it’s another day alive. She taught that you should appreciate everyday as it comes for you are here for a reason. You can count on a good morning as you pass her in the hallway and you can expect it to be written on the board.

Mrs. Hart along with the two other eighth grade teachers have prepared me beyond well for anything thrown my way in my years as a high schooler. Coming into freshman year was a breeze, and I couldn't thank them enough. One thing I can take from Mrs. Hart is that high school may be extremely different from middle school, but your work ethic never changes. You have the power to control your future and it starts now. For all of these reasons and more, she’s my nomination for Educator of the Year.