Rouse High School senior Mariah Alejo, recognizing Suzy Pessia: “I have never met anyone who demonstrates as much passion for people as Mrs. Pessia does. She is bright and silly and never fails to lighten my mood, which I dearly needed as a high school senior. Walking into her class in the early morning was when I realized where exactly I was going in life; she looked at me and said, ‘I love your attitude; you’re going to go far.’ This meant a lot coming from her, as she is the person who embodies the medical field for me. That day, with those few words of rich positivity, I knew where I was going. I, Mariah Alejo, will go to college, graduate, go to medical school, graduate and finish the years of training to become a general surgeon. Without the faith and support from Mrs. Pessia I would have never truly known who I am and how great I will become.”
Vandegrift High School senior Alex Martin, recognizing Christopher Lindsay: “When I saw Mr. Lindsay’s room for the first time, I knew I had to take his class, and I am glad I did. Many teachers have had an impact on my life, but Mr. Lindsay indirectly has provided a great example of what doing what you love can be your job to me. He demonstrates what the ideal teacher should look like; he is proficient in his craft and always improves, and he strives to help his students improve as well. He developed his lesson plan around keeping the information interesting and relevant and made methods to help us remember different terms. I want to, in whatever field I end up pursuing, do it like he does.”
