I was crying. The words of the other students stung me like a bee. I let my tears roll down my face as I grabbed my stuff from my locker. Then, Mrs. Supple pulled me aside. With a concerned look on her face, she listened as I explained the situation. She reassured me that everything was going to be fine.

I had known Mrs. Supple almost my whole life. I started going to St. Charles Parish School when I turned four, and immediately Mrs. Supple became a part of my life. Each morning throughout early elementary school, we would stand by the bus entrance of the school and talk. Talk about our days. Talk about our interests. Talk about toys. She always knew exactly what to say to me. I would always come to school early, and she would keep me company. 

Her daughter also went to school with me, but she was many grades above me. I could see how her daughter interacted with me and Mrs. Supple, that she was very close with her family. She made me feel like I was part of her family. As I grew older and entered fourth grade, I didn’t see Mrs. Supple as much. When we crossed paths in the hallway, she always greeted me and smiled brightly. Even though we did not talk as much as before, I still felt a connection to her.

When I entered middle school, I started to see Mrs. Supple again. She was an aid for different classes and I always saw her in the hallway. Now that I got older, I felt like I could talk to her as a friend. I could talk about what I was doing that weekend, or even how one teacher gave me way too much homework. All my other classmates had a connection with her too. She was a bright and cheery teacher who treated every single student as a friend of her own. She was invested in all of our lives, no matter how small. 

As I got older, I experienced some judgment from other students. It wasn’t something that I couldn’t handle, but I knew Mrs. Supple would always be there for me. I knew she would back me up in any situation. Having an adult figure I could turn to helped me finish middle school and become who I am today. And I know, if I were to go up to her even today, she would smile brightly and say, “Hi, Lizzie!”