I cannot begin to express how much I appreciate Ellen Degeneres. Her daytime talk show is one of my favorites for several reasons. However, the main reason is that she helps teachers all around the world who try their very best to provide as much as they can for their students. I enjoy finding these videos because I know they are going to get a surprise of a lifetime. Recently, I saw a video that really touched my heart. It’s truly amazing how much something as small as money can do to someones life.
In this video, Sonya Romero is a kindergarten teacher in New Mexico who makes sure her students are all fed and wearing clean clothes before she starts her lessons for the day. This is a quality so rare that teachers have. One day, I will strive to be just like Sonya who is a true inspiration to not only me but to all teachers. This video really shows her passion for teaching and compassion as a teacher (honestly, I did not make it through this video without tearing up). She feels as if she is a “first responder” for these students. She became a foster parent to former students because they had no where else to go. She took on the responsibility because she puts others before herself. Sonya is a hero to all children and look upon as a fantastic role model at her elementary school.
The video shows how Target donated $10,000 to Sonya and $10,000 to the elementary school. This amazing gift will go a long way for both the school and Sonya. Sonya already has a son of her own plus foster children, so I’m sure she very much appreciated this surprise. Teachers in general, don’t make a lot of money (which should be changed since teachers make a huge difference in the world) so this donation is genuinely humbling, even from an outsiders point of view. I hope one day that more teachers will be recognized for their amazing job and difference that they make in a student’s life. Teachers are more impactful on children than you might think.
I have tweeted several times (@nicole_gross3) about how the Ellen Degeneres show changes teachers lives. I hope to one day impact students the way that Sonya does. Sonya is one in a million teachers. School administration should be looking for these qualities before hiring teachers because of the impact that they will make on potential students.