Kathleen Dansie – Elk Ridge Middle School

Dear Teacher Feature,

My name is Emily Suckow and I am 13 years old.
My nomination is for Ms. Kathleen Dansie at Elk Ridge Middle School in South Jordan. You see, I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on May 19, 2009. I can’t go to school until my blood count numbers come up and are steady. Ms. Dansie comes over twice a week to bring me homework from my classes so I can still get the education I need to graduate. I’m only in eighth grade, so the classes I’m taking don’t go towards graduation, but I know that I need so many years of gym and math to graduate in a few years. Ms. Dansie understands how hard it is for me to keep my grades up when I’m not in school. I’ve always had a 4.0 GPA average, but when I’m not in school and I miss all of the class discussions, my grades drop more than you would know. These past five months have been really hard on me, what with the cancer and everything, but Ms. Dansie definitely helps me go through it.

[This is one] of the most amazing teachers I have had, and I pray that you will notice the excellence [she has].

Sincerely,
Emily Suckow