Freshman year at Arrowhead High School was no easy task. With innumerable extracurricular activities and athletics, I had no idea which direction to take. That was until I met the most brilliant, enthusiastic, out-going human being --  Kathi Koepke -- and instantaneously knew what I wanted to do. 

Getting to know Ms. Koepke has been extraordinary! For the past three years, she’s been not only my Spanish and French teacher, but she’s also been a constant friend. In class, she’s goofy and awkward -- helping us “gringos” struggle through rolling our r’s -- but she’s also patient and nurturing.

Although she’s small, her boisterous voice fills the room like she’s on mic, explaining even the bores of linguistics with animation. Being in her classroom is like spending time at your best friend’s house. Ms. Koepke constantly causes us to break out in laughter when she shares her wild adventures from countries we’ve never heard of.

Never once have I heard anyone ask, “When will I use this outside of school?” in her class. She keeps us entertained through innovative games including -- my personal favorite -- locating vocabulary on the SMART Board with giant flyswatters. In class, Ms. Koepke has us read letters from her host family rather than dusty text-book pages; her rooms are chalk-full of pictures, packages, and post-cards from exotic locales.

On top of teaching, Ms. Koepke runs both the French and Spanish club. She’s crazy dedicated and arranges everything from absurd scavenger hunts through our hometown to salsa dancing lessons in Chicago! The eccentric prizes she offers us during these activities have grown to become my most prized possessions.

Furthermore, Ms. Koepke opens her classroom doors before anyone’s devoured their Wheaties if we need tutoring. This is something she is not paid for, yet does consistently, regardless of how many hours she stayed after school the night before.

She’s also the reason I met my best friend. Cristina, a student from Spain, who lived with my family at Ms. Koepke’s recommendation. This summer, I spent a month adventuring through her country. Without Ms. Koepke, none of this would have happened--and I can’t imagine life without my family and friends 5,000 miles away.

As a junior, I now have goals for life after high school. And -- thanks to Ms. Koepke -- I hope to study languages abroad and follow in her footsteps as a driven, quirky, and wonderful teacher to the next generation of explorers.