There have been numerous people who have influenced me and those who have set immense examples in my life. Those people were teachers I had from kindergarten to the present time. If I had to choose one who has had the utmost influence, it would have to be Mr. Yourkovich at Catholic Memorial High School. He put a great deal of effort and time in teaching history and leading the freshmen students into better individuals. There are several reasons why he was my favorite teacher, but there is not enough space to share them all. First, he had the characteristics of a grandfather. Second, he made learning history fun. Finally, he enjoyed teaching his students.

Mr. Yourkovich was my favorite teacher was because of his characteristics. He was always kind, thoughtful, and generous. He continually listened to what we had to say. At the end of each class, if time permitted and if there were people who wanted to, we would have a “show” of people singing on the desks, showing what they learned through a rap. There were quite a few times during that year at Catholic Memorial when I would attempt to rap what I learned, but it never turned out. But, he would give me insight on what I had to practice. He always took the time to listen to our thoughts and was never impatient with us, and for that I am especially grateful.

Another reason why Mr. Yourkovich was a favorite of mine was because he made learning history fun. It did not matter whether we were in a classroom, where space was limited, or in an actual room in the building, where we had plenty of room to move around. He constantly had ideas to get us moving and enjoying history. Mr. Yourkovich is like a clown with out the nose. He was the class I enjoyed going to.