My second-grade teacher, Mrs. Felicia Iacchelli, is picking me and my husband up from the airport when we fly to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada this month to visit my dad. As I checked on our itinerary and packing list, I began to think about how amazing it is that Mrs. Iacchelli and I have kept in touch all these years.
Her daughter, Stefania, was my best friend growing up and, of course, Mrs. Iacchelli was my favorite teacher. I still remember the yummy treats she would make when one table of students filled up their jar of beans by behaving and performing well in class. I remember loving school in second grade. I even loved homework. And I especially loved reading. I went back and looked at the scrapbook my mom kept for me from pre-K to my senior year, and in second grade I said I wanted to be a teacher. I'm sure this was due in large part to the experience I had in Mrs. Iacchelli's class.
When I was 10, my family moved 2,200 miles away to Rome, Ga., and I have been here ever since. I still try to see Mrs. Iacchelli every time I'm in Edmonton to visit family. In 2012, Stefania (who is now a teacher at an independent school in Canada) attended a conference at Atlanta International School and added an extra day onto her trip so she could visit us in Rome. The following weekend, Mrs. Iacchelli surprised us by flying here for my wedding! It was so special to have her there.
Last month on Teacher Appreciation Day, I made a point to publicly recognize some of the teachers who have made a difference in my life. Of course, Mrs. Iacchelli was first on the list. Others included my high school journalism teacher Greg Spoon, my high school art teacher Chris Hodges, my high school AP Calculus teacher Mary Holcomb, my college adviser and PR professor Kathy Richardson, and my college literature teacher Sandra Meek, to name a few. Each one of these people played an integral role in helping me find my strengths, my passions, and in making me the person I am today.
As I thought today about Mrs. Iacchelli and our 27-year friendship that began when I was 6 years old, my mind drifted to Darlington. I started to think about the lifelong relationships that form not only among our students, but between our teachers and our students -- something that has been happening for decades, for generations, for over a century. In fact, it is the very essence of Darlington School, which was named in honor of a teacher, Joseph James Darlington, by his former students.
When we hear from alumni, it is stories about their teachers -- the Darlington legends of the past and present -- that drive our conversations. Whether they graduated in 1944 or 2014, our alumni agree that it was their teachers who made their Darlington years the transformative experience it was. And while they may not have realized it until years after graduating, our alumni often tell us that their teachers helped them become the people they are today.
I feel fortunate to work at a school like Darlington where I can continue to learn from great teachers. Our first-grade teacher, Rachel Harrison, has taught me that being gracious and expressing appreciation can impact someone's day more than you know. Head of House Reba Barnes, though not a teacher in the traditional sense of the word, has taught thousands of young men life lessons that they will take with them forever, and she has taught me about how personally fulfilling it can be to serve. Tom Whitworth, outgoing headmaster, has taught me that every student can be successful and it is up to us to find teaching strategies that bring out their strengths. Leanne Mann, director of summer programs and the tennis and golf academies, has taught me to always proofread my emails before sending. Beth Smith ('87), who will go back to teaching K4 in the fall, has taught me to be unapologetically passionate about the things I really care about. And while she's not a classroom teacher, DeLean Brandon's work in admissions helps so many students to connect to great Darlington teachers; she has taught me to never give up, even when I am feeling overwhelmed, because hard work will pay off in the end.
I could go on and on, but I'll end by saying that I think Darlington's founders would be happy to know that building lifelong, impactful relationships between students and teachers is as important to who we are today as it was when the school was founded 110 years ago.
I challenge you to think back to the teachers in your life. Which ones made the biggest impact on you? What do you see in yourself that can be traced back to your experience with a certain teacher? Did you have a teacher who helped you discover your strengths? Your passions in life? Has your child had a teacher who went above and beyond the call of duty? I'd love to hear your story.
