Imagine this: A seventh grader who has been to jail twice already and grew up in a drug infested house with a bunch of felons. As it turns out he is pretty intelligent, but never had the chance to display this intelligence to anyone. If you pictured some gangbanger who is overly cocky and is a total badass, you would be wrong. I am that very kid, and as most people know am very social, athletic, and intelligent. I give a lot of credit to Ms. Messer.

Ms. Messer was my seventh grade english teacher. She saw what nobody else could see, a human being. Everybody else saw a juvenile delinquent who never did anything in school to show they cared. What really changed me was of course me, but Ms. Messer enlightened me to my smarts, while also being the kindest person I have known up until this point in my life. She realized I was human in the way that some people notice a pet has human qualities. Her Class was the only class I did any work in (I of course slept in all the others).
One day Ms. Messer asked me a question: "Do you study at home?". I said 'no' and explained to her a brief description of my life. She then realized that i'm naturally smart and asked me to stay afterclass everyday. I did as she asked not realizing she was becoming a great motivator for me. Eventually it got to the point where I did all my work and was getting straight A's. She really got me to learn that school would be where I excel and would actually make something of my self (Something everybody I knew said I wouldn't).

I realize today that I would probably still be in jail if Ms. Messer did not wake me up. For saving the life I will soon have, I believe Ms. Messer is a hero in disguise as a teacher for a seventh grade english class. Thank you Ms. Messer.