Every year we have to sit through a presentation about mental health and our personal safety. Every year they give us a paper with the same question on it “do you have a trusted adult that you can go to at school that you are comfortable talking to.” Every year since elementary school I’ve circled the same answer- yes. Every year up until freshman year I never meant that though. I simply just circled it so they didn’t question me. Freshman year I met the teacher who has changed my whole outlook on life and changed my honest answer to this question. Freshman year I met Winkelmann. 

Winkelmann has been the most positive influence on my life to the point where sophomore year I even wrote my hero speech about him for my public speaking class. When I think of someone who I admire and respect I think of Winkelmann. He has taught me so much about life and even about myself. The first time I ever talked to Winkelmann he had asked our class a simple question “who would win in a fight- bear or gorilla.” Well obviously this turned into a whole debate because let's just say me and him did not agree. The first thing I ever remember him saying to me was him joking that I had anger issues because of the debate over whether a bear or gorilla would win in a fight. But the point of this story is that on that day I realized that I would be bothering Winkelmann for the rest of my highschool years…and that I have done everyday since for the past three years. What I didn’t realize though is how big of a role in my future he would end up playing.

Winkelmann is one of my only teachers who has believed in me and never gave up on me. When I believe I won’t pass a class or I'm too dumb to do something I simply just won’t do it and give up on myself. I always believed it was better to just not do something then do it and fail so I just don’t do my work half the time. When I did this in Winkelmann's class though he told me “you're not dumb I believe in you.” Everyday since then I would tell him everything I did whether it was getting an A on a test or something as simple as making a terrible vase in ceramics. Even when I get a C on a test I tell him and he tells me “I told you that you could do it…i’m proud of you.” Those words alone coming from him are what have pushed me the past three years to simply do the best I can. 

Not only has Winkelmann always been there for me, pushing me to do better in school and convincing me that I can do anything I put my mind to. He has pushed me in my personal life to become more open and branch out and make new friends and talk to new people. As of this year he kind of forced me into doing football management and I will forever be grateful to him for that. Because of him I have met some of my absolute best friends and met the people who I consider family and want to be in my life forever. Though he did do it for himself because he needed another football manager he mainly did it for me because he knew it would help me tremendously mentally and that I needed something that would take my mind off of the things happening in my personal life.

So now when we have to sit through the presentations about how important mental health is and how important it is to have a trusted adult that you are comfortable talking to, I can confidently say that yes I know at least one that I can go to for anything.