Teachers are some of the most valuable people in our lives. They dedicate years of their lives to furthering the knowledge of their students along with aiding us in our academic and social advancement. At ACP, we are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing group of teachers who care about the students’ health, safety, and learning experience- especially teachers like Mrs. Patterson. Mrs. Patterson teaches Newspaper, Yearbook, and AP Literature and Composition. She has also coached cheerleading in Illinois, and at Anderson Junior High. Mrs. Patterson has been teaching for 28 years, 21 of those years for CUSD, and eight of those years at ACP High School.

As a senior in high school, Mrs. Patterson found her passion for teaching while taking an Ed Profession elective class. When asked what her favorite part of teaching is, she said, “making connections with my students, developing a strong relationship with them to nurture and support them.” She especially enjoys helping her seniors navigate their final year of high school. As a teacher, she believes that every day brings its own fun and exciting surprises. The moment that she cherishes the most from her teaching experience is when her seniors chose her to give a commencement speech for their graduation.

Not only is Mrs. Patterson an amazing teacher, but she brings joy to everyone’s day. In fact, she feels that if she were an ice cream flavor, she would be rainbow sprinkles because it makes people smile- which is exactly the thing she strives to do for her students everyday. I also got the opportunity to ask Mrs. Patterson when and where she would go if offered the opportunity to travel back in time. She responded with saying that her parents were high school sweethearts at Tempe High in the 1950’s, so she would enjoy seeing how much love they had for one another as teenagers as well as experiencing the era of sock hops and ice cream socials. When she’s not teaching, Mrs. Patterson enjoys bike-riding, hiking, spending time with family, cooking, and playing with her dog, Beethoven.

It is thanks to teachers like Mrs. Patterson that so many students are able to have fun at school as they enjoy the atmosphere their teacher creates. She is both kind and caring, and she also makes sure that everyone has the best resources they need to do well in school. Every school year, all of the students at ACP are lucky to have such great teachers and staff that care about the student’s education and well-being. Don’t forget to strive for the impossible and be extraordinary, go Knights!