Congratulations to
National Teaching Award Nominee
Vincent Heller
Trent Independent School District, Trent, Texas
Student Nomination Story
Mr. Heller is one of the most important people in my life, he started teaching me when I was in eighth grade. We were in his class a year earlier than we should have been, but our school is small and at the time our class was about fifteen people. Mr. Heller introduced himself through a power point presentation showing us who he was bluntly. His bluntness is one of the things I appreciate the most about Mr. Heller, when I was in eighth grade I was in a world of my own. I was a wallflower, in a shell not opening up to anyone. Mr. Heller changed that, he introduced me into the world of stock showing. Mr. Heller taught me how to show and moral principles of being a human being. He wants us to not only learn the skills to prepare us for real world jobs, but how to mange people. Eighth grade to now almost being graduated he has taught me how to finish a project once it was started. Mr. Heller has taught me that no matter what happens always try to do the right thing. He explained to me that the only constant in life is change, he showed me how to be flexible to what life throws at me. When my parents separated he helped me tremendously as I was on the verge of retreating back into my shell. I tried to distance myself from him, but in the end I really couldn't. I needed my teacher, he did not have to help me but he did. I was in this state of confusion and sadness I couldn't comprehend so I tried to keep people at arms length. Mr. Heller helped me through this hard time and since then I have gotten better. Mr. Heller told me that it was I who defined who I was and what I do, not the world. Even though that life might be hard and your back is against a wall that you should always be the best version of yourself and put all of yourself into whatever you work on. Even though recently I have not followed his advice, and I would like to say that I am sorry for that. I highly value his advice and try every day to be an honest person.
Cheyanne Gandy
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