Throughout my high school years, I could count on my science course to drag my GPA down. So when I enrolled in Block Chemistry this year, I was hesitant knowing the outcome would more than likely follow the trend.

    Although the idea of chemical reactions, creating substances, and possibly even witnessing an explosion intrigued me, I still worried. But the concern vanished when I walked into room 127 and saw Mrs. Ley smiling greeting the class with a cheerful “Welcome to Chemistry!” I quickly learned about her love for science, love for her children, and love for her students. It was helpful to learn about Mrs. Ley personally because she became more approachable, which helped when I needed to come in for extra help, to make up missed labs, or simply to chat.

    Mrs. Ley stood out to me because of her slow pace yet highly intensity teaching style. Over the course of one semester, I retained more information than in any other class-I had a blast while doing so. Her encouraging attitude caused the semester to be a breeze. Although I was not one of Mrs. Leys “AP Chemers” (as she would call them), I know she still gave full effort when helping me. 

    Mrs. Ley’s smile warms you up like the pink fleece she keeps on the back of her chair when the classroom temperatures drop in the winter time. Usually 9th and 10th hour classes are hard to get through, but she kept the atmosphere light with her quirky jokes. Mrs. Ley never forgot to remind us how Chemistry is cool, and she always took time to ask us about our weekend plans or school sporting events. She truly cares, not only about school, and it helped to know that.

    Although I was hesitant, I’m glad I enrolled in Block Chemistry. Mrs. Ley deserves this award because of her drive to help students succeed. She made my semester of Chemistry memorable, and I will always thank her for that.