Teacher Appreciation Day is a special day set aside to recognize and show gratitude to the hardworking and dedicated educators who play a vital role in shaping the future of our society. Employees of Carpenter Marty Transportation wanted to express our gratitude toward the teachers in our lives that put in hard work, long hours, and all the personal sacrifices they made and continue to make, to educate, inspire and guide us.

Ryan Davis, who recently joined the Carpenter Marty Transportation team, is extremely thankful for two specific teachers that made a huge impact on his life during his years in high school.

Mr. Gilmore (Ryan’s middle school football coach) gave great recommendations about Ryan to the high school football coach, Tim Dunn. Coach Dunn, like Mr. Gilmore, chose to learn about Ryan’s dwarfism and give him a chance on the field. “Coach Dunn went above and beyond for me. It was because of him that I have two of my most prized awards. He allowed me to compete in powerlifting at the World Dwarf Games which was held during our two-a-day practices.” Coach Dunn was also Ryan’s connection to his trainer for off-season lifting. Ryan came back from the games with a silver medal! “Senior year, Coach Dunn pulled me into his office and told me about the Tom Potter Memorial Award of Courage, and asked me to enter. He asked me about my life and wrote a glowing testimonial. The committee voted for me unanimously. Football not only gave me the greatest years of my life, but the greatest teachers to learn from!” 

Outside of football, English teacher Pat Dunn (Coach Dunn’s wife), was also a very important teacher to Ryan. “When I first had Mrs. Dunn, I was a freshman, and she was very intimidating. I was mostly too scared to raise my hand to answer questions. She was very tough, both in assignments and grading, but ended up being the greatest English teacher I ever had. As an engineer, my favorite subjects are science and math – you can’t get more opposite of English than that! I was never bored in her class. She had us read difficult, complex books, and our discussions were always interesting. Even though she was a tough teacher, she made my writing stronger. Mrs. Dunn is the type of teacher that we may dislike as students, but as adults, we realize that her methods prepared us for college and beyond. I believe all students need to have teachers like her!”

Lexi Heidish is extremely lucky to have grown up with many teachers in her life. “Most of my aunts are teachers, but I am really blessed that one of the greatest teachers I know is my mom! Not only has she put a lot of effort into her teaching job as a mother, but she is also so committed to her kids at school.” Mrs. Long teaches 4^th grade ELA at a rural school in Central Ohio. “It takes a really special person to teach kids and then come home to their own. I’m really lucky to have a mom that’s so dedicated and who has such a passion for people!”

Nathan, a new addition to our Cincinnati office said, “My favorite teacher was my high school US History teacher, Mr. John Cummings. I had always been a fan of history, especially US History, and Mr. Cummings was a brilliant teacher of the subject. The perfect amount of information, humor, debate, and storytelling made for an enjoyable, never dull class.”

Alaina Kempf reflected back on her favorite teacher in school, “The teacher that inspired me the most was not only a teacher, but also a coach and a friend.  Mrs. Allegier was my 8th grade math teacher and volleyball coach. When I was a sophomore, Mrs. Allegier moved to the high school, taught our sophomore Algebra class, and became the freshman volleyball coach. Over the years I was able to get to know Mrs. Allegier. She always motivated me to pursue my passions and would lend an ear to listen to our high school issues. I can honestly say I don’t think I could have done high school or volleyball without her. I will always be grateful to have a teacher care so much about her students.”

In conclusion, Teacher Appreciation Day is meant to recognize and show gratitude to the hardworking and dedicated educators who play a vital role in shaping our futures. It’s a time to acknowledge their hard work and dedication, boost their morale and motivation, foster positive relationships, and raise awareness of the importance of education. There are many ways to show appreciation for teachers, from simple words of thanks to more elaborate gestures of gratitude. Whether you are a student, parent, colleague, or community member, take the time to show your appreciation for the teachers in your life, not just on Teacher Appreciation Day but throughout the year.

Let’s honor and celebrate the remarkable work of our teachers and express our heartfelt thanks for all they do to make a difference in the lives of their students and in our society as a whole. Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!