Chère Mademoiselle Clevenger,

With my days in French class coming to a close, I felt the need to express to you how grateful I am to have had you as my teacher. Throughout high school, I’ve switched friend groups, explored many interests and hobbies, matured (at least I think so), and changed what career I want to pursue about a million times. And despite the whirlwind of growth and change, the one constant has been you. 

 I chose to take French my freshman year because I wanted to be able to read my shampoo bottles and decipher the conversations in all the Hallmark Parisian romance movies my mom likes to keep on in the background every night. But I stayed in French because you made it so easy to learn and to love the language, even when I kept confusing the endings for the six thousand different tenses that all look and sound the same. The way you carry yourself with so much confidence and speak with so much passion has influenced the way I view learning a language. 

I still remember the very first day of my freshman year when you climbed on top of the counter to fix the clock and told all of us to get used to your spontaneity because it would never end. And that, I believe, is the most admirable thing about you. 

During Thanksgiving break I vacationed to New York and conversed with a flight attendant who flies with Air France. She and her friend complimented my comprehension and dictation of the language and I told her I owe it all to you. We spoke for a solid 10 minutes in a language I barely knew a word of two years ago, and I couldn’t contain my excitement and immediately messaged you all about it. 

I wish to convey to you how much of an impact you have made on the way I carry myself and walk through life. You are opinionated and well spoken—in both languages—and aren’t afraid to communicate your perspective whether or not it be controversial. But you say it with your chest, and you’ve inspired me to do the same. I truly believe that I wouldn’t be who I am today without you. 

I want to thank you for your unwavering support in everything I do. In my freshman year, I came to you about my interest in joining the school newspaper and you told me you knew I would regret it if I didn’t. I joined the newspaper the next semester and have only grown to adore journalism more and more as each issue is published, and you were the first to help me realize that passion. I tell you about my friendship drama, my plans for my future, what the latest baseball news is (though you don’t quite understand what I’m referencing despite my many attempts to teach you the rules), and everything in between. 

I want to thank you for letting me in your classroom before school when I’m having a rough morning and understanding that sometimes the silence speaks louder than my words can. I want to thank you for making me laugh and reminding me not to take things too seriously all the time. I want to thank you for expressing your emotions and letting us know that it’s okay to fail, for teaching us gratitude and humility and what it means to be a good student and good person. I want to thank you for pushing me hard and reminding me of what I’m capable of, for boosting my confidence and appreciating my effort. As an avid reader yourself, I can assume you’re familiar with the story Matilda. In this story, Matilda has a compassionate teacher who serves as a sort of guide for her. You are my Ms. Honey. 

I know you’ll be leaving us this spring, and you claim you’ll be back for the fall semesters for a few more years. But despite this, it still looms over my head that I won’t be hearing you yell at me for not cleaning up the condensation from my Starbucks every day. And lastly, as one of the students in what is possibly your last AP class ever, I want to tell you that on behalf of all of us, if ever you question your impact on Westview, just know that you have inspired hundreds of us along the way. We know it’s not goodbye but a chapter closed. Merci pour tout Mademoiselle, je t’aime toujours.