Diane Genetiano appreciates Mr. Mark Hennessey, a teacher at INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL in San Jose, CA

Dear Mr.Hennessey, I hope you have been doing well and that everything is going well for you, even during these times. I just wanted to take this time to talk to you about my appreciation for you as my counselor, these last 4 years of high school. Honestly, during my Freshman and Sophomore year I always knew I had a counselor but never actually thought I needed one, and the only time I probably met with you was to work on my schedule for the following school year. However, Junior year came around and I was going through a really tough time, and mentally I wasn’t really focused in school. Throughout Junior year, I was going through a really bad slump... I knew I had messed up big time, and needed some academic counseling. So I emailed you and immediately came into your office during lunch the next day. I’m not going to lie, I was kind of nervous because I had no idea what you would say to me or how you would react to my situation. But instead, you actually comforted me and helped set up a plan to recover my grades so that I would be on track for college. You didn’t put me down or judge me for my grade, but instead gave me some sense of hope that things would get better. However, the pandemic hit and I hit a dead-end in trying to recover my grades after school. During the school closure, I probably emailed you a million times and felt bad for annoying you, but every time, you always took your time to respond and set a plan for me to follow through, through emails. I think that’s what I appreciate the most, because dealing with students' and their problems isn’t an easy job, nonetheless doing all of it through a computer screen. I appreciate you for guiding me during my last 2 years of high school, and prioritizing all of your student's individual and unique problems. You helped me out of my slump in Junior Year and for that, I’m forever grateful. “A good teacher is like a candle; it consumes itself to light the way for others." (Anonymous) Thank you for lighting the way for me, when I needed guidance the most. Sincerely, Diane Genetiano (Senior)

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