You once said that your legacy would only last a generation and honestly, I just can’t have that happening. I need all my readers to know that without you, this book—all the books I have written—wouldn’t exist.
When we were introduced, I never imagined the empowering relationship that would follow. You became a source of support. Someone I knew would always believe in me. You changed my life in more ways than you know. From helping me revise my first short story that won first place in the Eastern Oklahoma Writing Contest, to writing that treasured letter of recommendation that would aid me when I applied for the Gates Millennium Scholarship, to reading all my books. Each of these things are gifts you have given me.
Teachers have such power over their students. I am so lucky to have had you–a source of motivation, a person who believes in me–sometimes more than I believed in myself–and a friend. Can you imagine the beauty that would exist in the world if every person had a teacher like you in their lives?
Your legacy lives on in your students. It lives on in these books because you are a part of them.
