Looking back, I'd have to say that among the many teachers to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude for believing in me and sometimes just laughing at me, I would have to thank Ms. Wanda Nix of Townsend Harris High School.
From 1985 to 1989, Wanda Nix was the Dean of Students, my physical education teacher and my soccer coach. Any student who has attended Townsend Harris can tell you there is no other teacher on the planet who is as affable, caring, disciplined, tough, revered, and in the best physical shape as Ms. Nix. Ms. Nix would run her physical education classes as if each was an independent study on human behavior and the value of a one-hour jog in creating moral fitness. During jogs she would dispense pearls of wisdom such as, "Keep it moving, Martine... if you can talk to Angela (my best friend) you're not working yourself hard enough."
Today, those words define my work style, and Angela is a school teacher! Ms. Nix taught me the value of hard work and its ability to shape more than just my calves. As my teacher, coach, and mentor, she taught me how to maintain my individuality while working as part of a team and that has continued to serve me today.
-Martine Guerrier
Chief Family Engagement Officer
New York City Department of Education
Townsend Harris Class of 1989