Haley Usoz

school was always a gigantic struggle for me. i was lonely, shy, anxious- just overwhelmed by the school environment. i was diagnosed with general anxiety, OCD, and ADHD in my 10-11th grade year, right when COVID hit and kept us at home. i finally went back to school for my senior year, and was blessed to have her as my teacher. my anxiety was really set off at school; loud kids, crowded rooms and hallways, screaming everywhere. i felt like i was suffocating all the time. miss usoz was so understanding of all my issues, and was so supportive the whole time i had her as a teacher. she encouraged me, understood my jumbled process of thinking, and time-consuming projects. she didn’t judge me, when i felt everyone around me was. when i was full of doubt, she was able to replace that with pride and motivation- something no one else was able to do! she gave me inspiration when i was mentally stuck, and the way she taught was so understandable and clear, especially with transitioning from online to in-school again. she turned the most boring lessons into fun, informative stuff i could actually pay attention to and understand. i was an early graduate from my school, but when i went back to order my cap and gown, she was the one person i wanted to see. we caught up, and she gave me some amazing ideas for a career and college- something i’ve been stressing over for months. she allowed me to see my strengths and interests, and together we were able to come up with some really good career options for me. she had a huge impact on how well i finished high school and i know without miss usoz, i wouldn’t have finished early, be in the process of applying to college, or have an idea on my future.

Kailey Seiler