The “Educator of the Year'' contest is the perfect opportunity for me to properly share with everybody out there that Mrs. Ulibarri is the most extraordinary teacher in the entire world. Everyone may have an excellent instructor who has guided them with care throughout the school year, but I’ve had a teacher who has illustrated genuine compassion for her students and love for the career she has. Mrs. Ulibarri is the most compassionate, intelligent, ardent, whimsical teacher that I know; I don’t even think there would be a single term to depict the admirable character she holds as an educator. She teaches with such prestige and humor, captivating the class and instigating a thirst for knowledge in any student. Everyone is in
awe of the clarity of her methods, the way she is able to explain math with such coherent technique to ensure that all of her pupils comprehend the material. Assurance can be provided to anyone who possesses even a trickle of doubt as to whether Mrs. Ulibarri is the finest contender for the credit she deserves.

Mrs. Ulibarri’s classroom is certainly any blooming student’s dream. Inspirational posters and quotes beautifully decorate the walls with style and color, giving everyone who enters a feeling of inspiration and motivation. She isn’t a person who believes there are limitations to what we can do. One distinct memory comes to mind when I think about her classroom. I was filling out my high school packet one day, and I was supposed to sign up for a very advanced math class that Mrs. Ulibarri had recommended. Even though not many freshmen take this course, my teacher had said it would be a great fit for me. But, I wanted more; instead of signing up for the regular version of Integrated Math III, I selected Integrated Math III honors. When I spoke to her about my recommendation, she was both surprised and amused that I had made that decision. She said that there may be a chance that I wouldn’t be chosen for the honors considering my age, but she said that I was making the right choice by challenging the unwritten restrictions. She told me to “shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you still land among the stars.” It was one of the quotes she hung on the walls, and those words have been the fuel to the fire of motivation glowing in my heart. Her words inspired me to push beyond my limits. Mrs. Ulibarri’s classroom is certainly my favorite place in the entire school. It is a wonderful, quiet retreat with soft jazz music and lavender scented air. She opens her door during lunch, for anyone who would like to join her, entertaining us with funny stories from her career and lending an ear to anyone who wishes to share their thoughts on any and every subject.

Mrs. Ulibarri is always so kind and discretional, both a counselor and a teacher. Ready to give advice on how to solve any issues, and offering solutions to help us bypass the obstacles that stand in our way. She even tutors her students after school, offering extra help to any of her pupils who wish to obtain an additional breakdown of the lesson covered that day. She dedicates so much of her time to ensure that all of us will succeed, which is such a laudable characteristic to have. She has been teaching for a very long time, in so many different places. She has experienced so much good and bad, but she never loses her enthusiastic spirit of her love for math. Mrs. Ulibarri is the first teacher who has demonstrated what a true classroom family is, illustrating the special place she has in her heart for all of us.

All educators can instruct, but Mrs. Ulibarri can teach. She is undoubtedly the most forthright person that I know. Anything she writes on the whiteboard lodges itself into memory, and anything she explains organizes itself into a small file in the brain. When
the time comes for us to finally use the skills we obtained in class, her lessons are right there in our head to guide us. Mrs. Ulibarri has never ceased to enchant us with the magic of math, everyday, proving her doctrine that nothing is hard if you can understand it. We have never had trouble comprehending anything she has taught us in the past year because her simplistic explanations are better than a lecture of a thousand words.

Mrs. Ulibarri is an amazing teacher who has been at our school for 30 years now. She has inspired and touched the lives of countless students who will always remember her with love and care for shaping them into better people. She is the first teacher I will sincerely regret losing once I graduate middle school because she may be retiring this year. I won’t have the luxury of visiting her if she takes this path, so I wanted to nominate her for this competition. My teacher never receives enough credit for all that she has done for the school and the students. As a reminder of this school year, I created a student ID of myself at my dream school, giving it to her on “future career” day. So, one day, even if we’re in different parts of the world, she’ll know where I am and that she was the one that helped me achieve my dreams. Mrs. Ulibarri has always been so supportive of everyone with what they want to do with their lives, and for this, I want to recognize her. Therefore, I am writing this essay to demonstrate how much I revere her wonderful character. To show her how much I appreciate her, and to show her that we

all love her to the moon and back. This contest has been a great opportunity for me to share with you all just how commendable my amazing teacher is.