As an eighth grader walking into the high school, I had no idea what to expect. I was thrown into a school of 2,000 kids—hardly knowing any of them. As I sat there on the first day of class, I was nothing but a nervous wreck. Thankfully, these fears were resolved when I met Mr. Hessler.

A seemingly normal high school coach/fan, I thought Mr. Hessler was going to be like every other math teacher. To my luck, he was the opposite. It was obvious from the first day that Mr. Hessler had a true passion for his job.

Math had always been one of my best subjects, but within a few weeks, it became my favorite. As crazy as it sounds, I looked forward to going to math everyday because I knew it would start my day right. I looked forward to seeing the “quote of the day” on the projector一 starting class with something to think about. This is one of my favorites: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” For once in my life, I looked forward to learning.

Walking into math was a breath of fresh air. Mr. Hessler never made class boring. He incorporated relatable scenarios into the curriculum to make it easier to understand. He is ALWAYS able to answer the question, “When will we use this?” He also never limits how students think—he is always giving us more than one way of doing things.

There is no doubt in my mind Mr. Hessler loves what he does, as he shows us this everyday. He finds ways to make class fun and gives us “triggers” to help remember things. I will never forget how to integrate the volume created by two functions thanks to pancakes and soldier course or how to get a “X” out of the denominator by “seeking and destroying.”

He cares about each and everyone of his students—both in the classroom and outside. I have never had a teacher who wanted us to succeed in things outside the classroom. He is always on top of how our athletics are doing and hopes we do well in them.

There has never been a time in his class where I felt I could not approach him to ask a question or find time for help. As a busy guy, he still made time for each and everyone of his students. I always felt I could go in early or stay after school if I needed help on anything.

In three short years, Mr. Hessler has helped me grow a passion for math. There has not been a single day in his class where I felt as if I did not grow as a student. Even better, throughout these three years, he has helped me grow as a person.

Thank you, Mr. Hessler, for pushing us everyday. For never allowing us to give up. For being the reason I am going to major in mathematics. You have showed me through the years what learning is all about.