Anthon

“I think New York City teachers are different. There’s this toughness, but also this heart."

By Students of NYC

June 14^th, 2025

"There were a few times I wanted to quit. It was too much — high school classes, nursing coursework, track practice, a part-time job. I’d get home exhausted and still have hours of studying to do. But every time I felt like giving up, one of my teachers would step in. Not just academically — they saw me. They believed in me when I barely had energy to believe in myself. One of them noticed I was nodding off in class and didn’t yell at me or anything— she pulled me aside and asked what was going on. When I told her I was working, doing clinical hours, and trying to stay on top of everything, she didn’t say, ‘That’s too much.’ She said, ‘Okay. How can I help?’ And she meant it. They all did. They found ways to support me — extra tutoring, words of encouragement, just checking in when they knew I had a tough week. That kind of belief builds something in you."

I think New York City teachers are different. There’s this toughness, but also this heart. They don’t give up on you — even when you’re ready to give up on yourself. They understand what it’s like to grow up here, to juggle school and work and family. A lot of them have lived some version of your story. And when you see a teacher who looks like you, who comes from where you come from — that hits different. It tells you, ‘You can make it too.’

I had Black teachers who changed the way I saw myself. Who made me feel proud of where I come from, proud of who I am. Representation matters — it really does. When you’re young and trying to find your way, just seeing someone like you in a position of leadership or success plants a seed. It says, ‘You belong here."

Now I’m a freshman at SUNY Plattsburgh. I’m studying to become a nurse. Maybe one day I'll teach others who are pursuing nursing. I want to be that person for someone else — the one who notices when something’s off, who makes a student feel seen, who says, ‘I believe in you,’ and backs it up with action. I want to give back what was given to me, because without those teachers, I wouldn’t be here. They didn’t just help me succeed — they helped me figure out who I want to become."