I met Mr. Witte the first semester of my junior year when I walked into his math class at Arrowhead Union High School. He greeted the class with his famous “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.” Being the first day of school, everyone was pretty quiet—almost afraid to talk. He just cracked a smile and began introducing himself.

When you look at him, you just see this ordinary six foot, two inch, skinny, middle aged guy. Once you get to know him, though, there is so much more. He is a father of five children, the girls’ basketball coach, a motivational speaker and, on top of that, a math teacher. I soon realized he and I were going to get along very well. 

I remember walking into class on a Thursday afternoon and Mr. Witte coming up to me and challenging me to come to his early morning Friday workout in the school weight room. He said I never had experienced a workout like his before. I kind of chuckled at what he said, because I am a committed college baseball player and a good all around athlete. I basically live in the weight room and have had my fair share of workouts that have pushed me to my limits. I thought his workout was going to be a piece of cake, so I took him up on his offer. 

What I experienced that Friday morning changed my life forever. It was the hardest workout I probably been a part of. It made me realize a couple things after I completed that workout. First, I realized I needed to work harder to reach my goals and dreams, and to never underestimate what is about to happen. Second to reach the top, I learned I will have to out work every single person. 

Every since that moment I met him, he has had a huge affect on my life. He preaches what he calls E + R = O (Experience plus Reaction equals Outcome). This suggests I can control how I feel in your life, no matter what happens because I have control of my reactions in any situation. This puts me in control of all my feelings. I have tried to apply this to everyday life—from my family, to sports, to how I interact with my classmates, and my general outlook. He has really affected me and really made my life better. I am extremely thankful to have Mr. Witte as a part of my life. 

All of that being said, Mr. Witte is my vote for this honor, and I hope I turned you into a Mr. Witte fan as well! :)