Through the years, there have been few students who expressed their gratitude toward me, not that I deserve it. If ever I contributed something, it’s teeny-tiny and close to none. I still believe that it is one’s efforts and God’s grace that make someone hold and taste the sweetness of victory.
On the third week of June, a former student, Keilla Wilson Choi came back to school. She asked that all teachers would go there because she wanted to treat us to a thanksgiving lunch after she was awarded magna cum laude at Silliman University.
We really thought it was just a special lunch with our former student, yet it came out differently. We did not expect that Keilla would make it very special. Keilla said that she wanted to honor her teachers. That day she wanted to thank us for how we have impacted her life. What was so surprising was that she awarded us with her own medal. For less than a minute, we felt appreciated and recognized for the “contribution” we have instilled in her life. As we stood and the medal hanging around our necks, she spoke about how we encouraged her and the experiences we had with her, good or bad.
This special and rare gesture brought me to tears. What was more encouraging was that Keilla’s mother recounted the different experiences and involvement of Keilla in the ministry and missions. When I heard the stories, my first thought was, “This is what Kian Kee envisions students to be when they become professionals: those who use their skills and talents to help people and most importantly to serve and glorify God.“
Like what I mentioned above, Keilla was not the first student who said “thank you“, but the gesture she showed caught us off guard in a very good way. I’m not saying that teachers deserve all the thank-you’s and appreciation notes (I keep all the little, long, and short notes that students have given me through the years as treasures in a box; and I read and reread them).
I still believe that desire, motivation, determination, and God’s grace drive students to excel and finish well. In this generation when self-made persons are encouraged, teachers truly appreciate students who look back for the good and right reasons. It’s always a blessing that students would come back and say hi. Moreover, students would do more if they say a word, even just a word of appreciation in the most sincere manner. You don’t know how a good word inspires teachers to put them back on track and do great things. With your appreciation expressed in different ways, teachers will be motivated to never stop pursuing and acing the mission that’s etched in their hearts.
P.S. Here are some Keilla’s poetic pieces delivered in spoken word competitions. Hope you will enjoy them!
MATTers 