It has been thirteen years since I sat in my first grade class where Mrs. Ronnie Blum was teaching us about the joys of reading. Even as a college sophomore, I can still remember her enthusiasm over many stories, captivating our imaginations and causing them to come to life.
She took thirty doe-eyed first graders such as myself and gave us the tools of reading, asserting that this was the essential key to future success and a happy life. She certainly was right! Today, I know of many of her former students who are attending some of the top colleges and universities in the nation, and it was all because of the essential foundations that she laid down for us so early in our schooling years.
She took her passion for reading and passed it down to us like a family heirloom, treating it like a precious jewel that had to be protected and nurtured. Mrs. Blum was, and still is, an amazing teacher who continues to captivate imaginations of young children each and every year.
-Jessica L. Chin, 19
PS 139Q, Class of 2000
Current Mount Holyoke College Sophomore