“Here we go, another stupid year, in this stupid high school,” I thought to myself. I walked into my new 3rd hour and sat at one of the computers in the back corner. I just wanted to be alone, I didn’t want to talk to anyone, I didn’t want to look at anyone, I just wanted the year to be over already.
“Hi I’m Mrs. Mullan, what’s your name?” I looked up to see a teacher looking at me with a smile from ear to ear. “What could she possibly want, does she not realize I’m in this corner for a reason.” I responded with my name and looked back at my phone hoping she would just leave me alone.
Little did I know, that teacher would be one of the biggest highlights of my year.
Mullan has been a lab technician for the credit recovery program at West Ottawa High School for six and a half years. She said, “I have always been very insecure about that job title. I feel like when I tell people what I do, they don’t take it very seriously or that’s just how I feel. But my closest coworkers and friends at work always make me feel very supported.”
As the year carried on, I continued coming in for my 3rd hour and sitting at my computer in the corner; meanwhile, Mullan continued to come over to my seat and ask me random questions. “What’s your favorite color?” “Do you have any siblings?” “Do you play any sports?” “What kind of food do you like?”
After a few days, those random questions began to turn into good conversations, and I realized Mullan and I had more in common than I thought.
Soon, I was out of that back corner and in the seat next to her desk talking to her about life, while she helped me with my schoolwork.
Last year, Mullan helped me so much. At first, I was ready to barely pass any of my classes and have horrible attendance. But with her encouragement, I was able to pass all my classes, come to school even if I didn’t want to, and meet new people. She gave me advice on some of the obstacles going on in my life, wrote kind cards for me and others on holidays, offered a helping hand with schoolwork when I was struggling, helped put a smile on my face when I was having a bad day, and listened when I needed someone to talk to.
Mullan has not only had a huge impact on my life but other students too.
Sr. Kayla Martinez said, “She impacted my high school years in many ways. Mrs. Mullan would always tell me to come to school and that encouraged me to be there because it made her happy when I was in class. Mrs. Mullan helped me with my school work and things outside of school.”
Others appreciate Mullan for her advice. Sr. Damiya Williams said, “She taught me how to be more persistent and that not all friends are good friends. She told me to be aware of people’s intentions and know that sometimes people will do hurtful things, even if you thought you could trust them.”
Mullan is not only appreciated for encouraging students to stay on a good path, but she’s appreciated for her ability to act as a teacher and a friend.
Sr. Sessilia Salas said, “Mrs. Mullan has impacted my high school years by challenging me to be myself in school. She just came up to me one day and I wasn’t really going for it but over the weeks we got closer and I started opening up to her. She would push me to come to school when she knew I didn’t want to, I had two classes with her which made me want to come to school in the first place. Before I started talking to her, I didn’t have a teacher that I could go to when I was feeling sad or just off throughout the day. But now, she will be there for me each time, even when I don’t take her advice, which is always. She is still there in the end. I love Mrs. Mullan and she has impacted many people in positive ways both mentally and physically.”
West Ottawa graduate Arianna Loveless said, “Although I only met Mrs. Mullan my senior year of high school, she immediately became a big part of my year. She was a friend and often someone I could go to whenever I had a rough day. She wrote me sweet notes when I needed a pick me up and never let me feel alone. Leaving high school, Mrs. Mullan made sure I felt confident about what I wanted to do within my years following and supported my plans. She is someone I will never forget and her kind words still play in my head when I have a rough day.”
Not only does Mullan have a huge impact on me and many other students’ lives, but she makes us feel like we have an impact on hers as well.
She said, “The students at West Ottawa have impacted me in so many positive ways. I have had students stick up for me when I’ve felt backed into a corner by others, they have cheered me up on my saddest days, they have inspired me to not give up on certain life aspirations, and they have made me a better person overall. So many students have told me over the years that they feel lucky to have met me, but in all reality, the students need to know I am the lucky one.”
Mullan also said, “With not being able to have biological children and being unsure what will happen in the future as far as becoming a parent, I feel like I do get to play a very motherly role at school. I don’t know if that’s fate or a coincidence, but I feel like I always have known that working with kids is what I was meant to do.”
Now that I’m in my senior year of high school, I know I will always remember Mullan. I’ll remember the way she encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone and try new things. I’ll remember how on all my bad days, she put a smile on my face and listened when I needed someone to. I’ll remember her life-changing advice, even if I didn’t always use it. I’ll remember the way she never failed to make me laugh. I’ll remember her always offering a helping hand whether she helped with school work or challenges life threw at me. I’ll remember the way she made school a place I actually wanted to be.
Everyone needs a teacher like Mrs. Mullan in their life.
