Extra Time & Encouragement

Sometimes it only takes one person to make all the difference…

One person who notices, who listens, who believes when belief feels out of reach. A single voice of encouragement can change the direction and even the chorus of a life.

High school was not an easy season. Learning felt overwhelming, and success in a traditional classroom often seemed out of reach. There was no diagnosis for ADHD at the time and little understanding of how differently some minds work. Sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammar were constant struggles, and tests were even harder. No matter how much studying happened, failure often followed.

Even though jr. high and high school was a struggle, there was one place where learning never felt hard. Reading came easily. Fiction books filled spare moments and fed a vivid imagination. Stories made sense in a way classrooms often did not, and they became a refuge during those years. Looking back now, that may be where a love for writing first began, even though it took many, many years to feel worthy of it.

Some teachers showed grace and patience, but one did not. One English teacher, in particular, left a lasting mark. She consistently ridiculed students who did not meet her expectations. During my final semester of high school, an appearance on the A/B honor roll came for the first time. Instead of encouragement, the moment was met with public criticism. Standing in front of the class, she said my name and stated that it was wrong for certain students to be on the honor roll. The feeling that followed was small and exposed, confirming insecurities that had already taken root.

Being awkward, weird, nonpopular, and different brought years of insecurity and self doubt and a lingering sense of not quite belonging. At the time, that difference felt very isolating. Looking back, it is clear that what once felt like a curse has since become a blessing, and that God would later use that different way of seeing the world and thinking.

I had another teacher, and the real difference between the two was attitude. It showed in the way they treated students. One used words to tear down and discourage. The other used words to build and encourage.

Senior year brought a turning point through one teacher who made all the difference. Wayne Schuetter, a government and history teacher, treated me with patience and encouragement when I needed it most.

Learning was allowed to happen differently through projects connected to the lessons and presentations that made understanding real. Questions followed that had never been asked before about future dreams and interest.

Wayne never allowed failure to be the final word, and he allowed me to take tests again and again, knowing that understanding mattered more to him than memorization ever would.

Because of his belief, patience, and encouragement, doors opened. College became possible for the future beginning in elementary education and eventually found my way to business administration and data management.

Looking back, it is clear that Wayne was more than a teacher. He was someone God placed at exactly the right time, when confidence was fragile and belonging felt uncertain. Where others saw limitations, he saw potential. Through his patience and kindness, there was an experience of grace that reflects the way Jesus meets people where they are.

God worked through Wayne, whether he knew it or not. His encouragement was used to lift and strengthen, and he did far more than teach history and government. Through his everyday faithfulness, God changed the direction of my life, using a teacher who quietly worked in the background. I am forever grateful and thankful for him. He has since passed, but what he gave me has stayed with me far beyond those years.

May we be reminded that it takes only one moment, one choice, one act of kindness to have a lasting impact on the lives of others.
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