Throughout the year, our teachers all work tirelessly, grading assignments and planning lessons, to make sure we can all succeed in class. But some teachers go above and beyond, not only teaching us material, but creating opportunities and building on our preexisting interests. One of these teachers is Meghann Thompson.

Last year, two months into creating a new JSA club, we ran into an issue. Without a teacher adviser, we could no longer hold meetings. After desperately searching for a teacher willing to give up an hour of their Tuesday afternoon to sit in a classroom while students argue about whether Donald Trump or Kanye West would make a better presidential candidate, we found Thompson.

We told her not to worry about doing too much extra work. We just needed a room to hold meetings and someone to sign forms; we would try our best to keep her extra work minimal. But of course, Thompson went well beyond just what was required of her.

Even though the subject she teaches, Spanish, has little to do with the political issues we focus on in JSA, Thompson always contributed to our discussions. She added current events she had heard in the news and seemed genuinely interested in our club. Her enthusiasm made her more than just a club supervisor. She is an integral part of JSA.

On top of all this, she was willing to take eight JSA members to a convention on the 14^th and 15^th, paying one hundred dollars out of pocket for a hotel room and giving up her weekend to spend time with politically obsessed teenagers. There are few teachers who I could imagine making this type of a commitment to something outside of school.

Thompson – for everything you have done for this club and all of your students, thank you.