The first time I saw Mrs. Whitehaus, I thought she was a student. She was wearing a really cute dress and a pair of whimsical glasses. When she got in front of the room and began teaching my English 10 class, I couldn’t believe how young she looked! Her style and personality was immediately contagious; she was always super bubbly and smiley. She quickly established a bond with her students and we were all very open with her. She made it easy to discuss our opinions about things in and outside of the classroom. Mrs. Whitehaus loved to share stories. I remember hearing how she had first met her husband and how it resulted in the naming of their first daughter, Jovi Rose.

Much like me, Mrs. Whitehaus has a passion for literature. We were always passing books back and forth; I looked forward to coming to class Monday morning and discussing the new book I read. She showed me a new way to express my love for literature; Mrs. Whitehaus encouraged me to work on my writing skills. She was constantly pushing me to write more and choose the hard essay topics and never take the easy way out. I was not too fond of writing, but thanks to Mrs. Whitehaus, I am able to take pride in my work and use it as an escape.
Mrs. Whitehaus not only inspired me; all of her students felt comfortable coming to her for advice and found her passion for her job intoxicating. One time in class we were reading The Catcher In the Rye and she had coincidentally traveled to New York around the same time. During her trip, Mrs. Whitehaus photographed pictures of the different sights throughout the city that were talked about in the book. She was so excited to show us! We spent an entire class period viewing the photos and discussing the book. She always went above and beyond the usual curriculum to get her students excited about everything we did in her class.
My favorite thing about Mrs. Whitehaus is how unique she is; she loves to express herself and doesn't let anything get in her way. She not only helped me get through my sophomore year, but she also helped me discover more about myself and my future. Mrs. Whitehaus deserves this award because she is more than just a teacher; she is a mentor, a friend, and an inspiration.