From five-years-old my sister said, “When I grow up, I’m going to be a dentist.” There wasn’t a doubt in her mind until her senior year in high school. That’s when she took environmental bio and had Mr. Albers. With his passion for the topics, he made my sister start to doubt her dream career. She’s now a senior in college and is in the process of earning her Ph.D in Botany. Mr. Albers is responsible for this. And that’s why I took his class.

On the first day of class, second semester, the bell rings—he pulls up his wheelie chair, sits down, and tells us of what he observed the previous day. Then we read an article. That’s where the excitement begins. No matter what the article is about, he makes me care. For example, there was an article on the state spending three million dollars to help bee’s pollinate. Exciting—I know. After reading it, Mr. Albers used his golden tongue. I wouldn’t say he’s persuading me to care. He’s simply talking, but what he says makes me care. He gives lots of specifics economically and environmentally, this makes him appeal to both basic political sides. The way he gives the specifics makes me remember since he uses sarcasm and makes me laugh. He made me care about honey, and I hate honey!

Trees—what a boring subject, or so I thought. ¬¬¬Mumbles, murmurs, and people muttering happened simultaneously when Mr. Albers said, “The tree unit is here!” So excited. So enthusiastic. So simply a tree hugger. But when he turned off the lights and played a tree video, I was more awake than if I had a double shot espresso. Why? Mr. Albers not only knows how to keep a students attention, but he also knows how to actually be intrigued! If a sequoia tree were a human, I’d marry her, for I care so much about that tree. I love the process it goes through, the history it has, and the mass size it is. This wouldn’t have been possible without Mr. Albers teaching me to care.

“Sir, what do you do when the facts change? I change my mind,” said John Maynard Keynes. Indeed, the facts do change. My sister changed her major from Dentistry to Botany, and I’m grateful she encouraged me to take Mr. Alber’s class and to keep an open mind. Now, I’ve changed my mind about politics, I’ve changed my intended major several times, and I’ve changed the way I look at almost everything. What do I do when the facts change? I change my mind, because of Mr. Albers.