UC San Diego professor Agustina Paglayan reflects on the many teachers and mentors who influenced her, making it difficult to choose just one. She highlights a high school teacher and several university professors who shared two key...

Professor Richard Evans recalls that the teacher who most influenced him was John Walsh, a history tutor at Jesus College, Oxford, where Evans studied in the 1960s. Walsh was known for prioritizing teaching over publishing and was deeply...

Joanna Sliwa is a historian, educator, and author working at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, where she administers academic programs on Holocaust studies. She co-authored The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish...

Professor Thomas Weber honors Simon Price, his college advisor at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, remembering him as one of the most supportive mentors he could imagine. Weber recalls arriving at Oxford in 1996 to study ancient and modern...

One of Annette Gordon-Reed’s most influential teachers was her high school speech and debate coach, Sharon Walker. From ninth through twelfth grade, Walker instilled confidence in her, encouraging her to participate in speech and debate...

Annette Gordon-Reed, a professor at Harvard University, wrote a groundbreaking book in the 1990s examining the relationship between Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings, an enslaved woman at Monticello. Initially interested in how...

Debórah Dwork’s reflections on her mentor, Marion Pritchard, highlight the deep moral and historical lessons she gained from their relationship. Pritchard’s role as a rescuer during the Holocaust was not just an act of bravery but a...

Throughout her life, Deborah Riley Draper has learned from everyone she met, but her greatest teacher has been her mother, Janette Coleman Riley. A dedicated public school teacher for over 40 years, she instilled in her the values of...

Lou Gehrig and Bill Russell exemplified character in sports through their humility, leadership, and dedication to their teams and communities. Gehrig, a legendary first baseman for the Yankees, was a quiet, team-first player known for...

This is such a powerful story about discovering a passion you didn’t even know was an option. Tommie’s journey from a practical business major to philosophy—just because a professor recognized his way of thinking—really highlights how...

Charles Fadel, founder of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, discusses the evolving role of education in an AI-driven world. He argues that rather than focusing solely on how teachers can use AI, we should reconsider what students need...

Kara Alaimo is a professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the author of Over the Influence: Why Social Media is Toxic for Women and Girls and How We Can Take It Back. She has written opinion and analysis pieces...

Kara Alaimo reminisces about their early education with Ms.Knight, her Montessori kindergarten teacher, where she first developed a love for reading and curiosity. She emphasizes how Montessori education, which allows children to explore...

Travis Thrasher fondly recalls his third-grade teacher, Mrs. Miller, at Munich International School as the person who ignited his passion for writing. Struggling as a student, he found encouragement when she praised his pirate story with...

Travis Thrasher is a versatile writer and storyteller who has been passionate about writing since childhood. After college, he worked in publishing for 13 years, gaining industry experience while pursuing his dream of becoming a...

Travis Thrasher is a versatile writer and storyteller who has been passionate about writing since childhood. After college, he worked in publishing for 13 years, gaining industry experience while pursuing his dream of becoming a...

Jack Meyers' The Tao of Leadership explores the intersection of leadership, technology, and human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on the ancient principles of Taoism—harmony, flexibility, balance, and...

Mrs. Willie Bell Gibson, a strict yet deeply influential seventh and eighth grade English teacher, left a lasting impact through her rigorous vocabulary lessons and high expectations. Her "infraction center" ensured students mastered...

Dr. Riana Elyse Anderson is a clinical and community psychologist and an associate professor at Columbia University’s School of Social Work. She focuses on the mental health impacts of racism on Black youth and families, using racial...

Dr. Janet E. Helms reflects on her path to becoming a counseling psychologist, shaped by her parents' aspirations and formative "mentoring moments." Raised with the expectation of attending college, she combined her father’s love for...

Dr. Janet E. Helms, Professor Emeritus of Counseling Psychology at Boston College, is a leading figure in the study of race and racism. As an "evolving racial justice psychologist," her work focuses on demystifying the fictitious racial...

Jacob Rice, a high school English teacher in Northeast Philadelphia, reflects on his journey into education and the disparities he observed growing up. Teaching near both the Philadelphia public school he attended and the wealthier Lower...

Ron Rice reflects on the profound impact of a college professor, Russell F. Weigley, during his sophomore year at Temple University. As an English Literature and History major, Ron encountered Weigley, a distinguished historian known for...

Ron Rice reflects on the profound impact of a college professor, Russell F. Weigley, during his sophomore year at Temple University. As an English Literature and History major, Ron encountered Weigley, a distinguished historian known for...