Ms. Sinanis (now Gatanas-- she has gotten married since) was my first grade teacher at P.S. 19Q (Marino P. Jeantet) in the 1994-1995 school year.
Ms. Gatanas was the last in a string of teachers whose influences were so strong that I remember details about their class sessions. I remember her as the teacher who had the hope in me that I was unable to have in myself. She was the first person to believe I could think critically.
Ms. Gatanas' constant push for success and effort was helpful in letting me recognize how capable I was. She saw what was special in me and she made sure that I realized that I was special. I was young, but it was in this class that I discovered my passion for literature, reading, and academic texts.
It was through her encouragement that I was able to allow myself to realize my potential and become as optimistic an individual as I am now. To Ms. Gatanas, anything was possible-- and to me, everything became possible. In fact, she encouraged and pushed us to go above and beyond. Our limitations were not decided by a set of arbitrary exams; they were decided by our own willingness to learn and her desire and passion for teaching. I have always been willing, and I have always been passionate about my education, but Ms. Gatanas' encouragement was especially important because it was the first time I felt someone finally cared not only about who I was, but about who I would become.
-Maria Diaz
P.S. 19Q, Class of 1999