One of my very favorite high school teachers, Señora Karen McElhattan, recently retired from the Spanish department at Exeter Township High School. It was my honor and privilege to have been invited to speak at her surprise retirement on May 31. While I was away for a wedding and, unfortunately, could not be present, I did write her this letter which my younger brother read aloud at the event. Señora M was truly an outstanding teacher, an outstanding person... and fortunately, a dear friend to me and my family.
Here is the letter I wrote as a tribute to her career...
Dear Señora M,
Prior to each exam or presentation in your class, you would ask us to first voice this statement to ourselves: “Voy a tener éxito!” which in English means, “I am going to have success!”
On this special occasion today—celebrating your retirement and reflecting on your remarkable career—your student would now like to reverse the statement back to you.
“Usted tuvo mucho éxito, Señora! Felicidades!!” [YOU had much success, Señora! Congratulations!]
I could think of no more appropriate statement that captures your corazón—your spirit—than those four, simple words. You have always been filled with unwavering optimism, a heart of gold, and a radiant, positive energy that is truly refreshing and much adored. You were like Michelangelo for us—your students. In a boulder of raw marble, you have always been one to see a magnificent sculpture waiting to be unlocked inside. And in your classrooms—each year full of malleable teenagers—you saw the potential to plant seeds that may one day help us grow into global travelers, cultural savants, and multi-lingual community leaders.
As a parent first helps a child ride a bicycle, you were there to first introduce me to the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures, and I am forever grateful. I am still a moving liability while riding a bike, just as I am far—muy, muy lejo—from mastering Spanish. However, your instruction and your inspiration have played an instrumental role in my life, and one that I have never forgotten.
“Voy a tener éxito!” I would remind myself as I would soon travel to Oaxaca, Mexico with fellow Villanova students to put my Spanish to use while serving needy families in the region. “Voy a tener éxito!” I would repeat again and again as I would one day lead a group of 20 students to Antigua, Guatemala to rebuild homes for the poor. “Voy a tener éxito!” I would remember as I would travel to Waslala, Nicaragua in 2005, where I would begin the work that I continue today—to help build clean drinking water systems to benefit the thousands of mothers and fathers, children and elderly who continue to struggle for access to such a basic human need.
This is part of my own life’s work, but of course, you have helped craft the life’s work of so many before and after me. We ultimately decide how we want our personal sculptures to look, but you had helped introduce a vital communications tool in today’s much flattened and diverse world.
The great thing about your teaching approach is how you made Spanish language and culture fun and relevant for all of us. With posters covering your walls… of Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, and Rafael Palmeiro (who was a favorite baseball player, and the inspiration for my class nickname- Rafí)… we were reminded daily of the influence that Hispanic leaders have had on our lives. We went to Chi-Chi’s as a class and you even encouraged us to make our own Latino food and drinks for certain class projects. In my case, I stole my mom’s blender, salt and ice supply to make margaritas—virgin margaritas—for the class; perhaps, a precursor to what would become a “very exciting” college career. And, with much enthusiasm, you would bring tastes of Spain and Mexico and Peru into our classroom by sharing your photographs from summer travel excursions. Never did I imagine that I would one day venture to La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or the many zócalos throughout Mexico myself.
But I did venture to those places, and of course, I immediately remembered where I had first learned about them. And that was from you.
While sitting in your classroom, just a naïve kid, never did I imagine that I would soon be putting my Spanish vocabulary to use. “Voy a tener éxito!” I would soon recall during another humanitarian project, this time amidst the walls of an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. The children I worked with spoke only Spanish. But thanks to the lessons that first began in your classroom, I could not only interact with them but slowly become a mentor figure in their lives. How easy it is to take the spoken word for granted, but in such cases as this, a familiar language is the key to bringing two different worlds together as one.
I have strived to harvest the seeds you first planted. I have yearned—and still yearn—to create a masterpiece sculpture—a life’s work—to be proud of. Again, teachers like you provide the initial tools. And, that’s why I believe that the world’s best teachers are the world’s greatest and most unsung heroes. To you and all the teachers in the room, I salute you. For whom would we all be without the guidance of a teacher? A hero to first emulate?
You were and always will be a hero to me.
If it were not for a good friend’s wedding in Memphis this weekend, it would have been such an honor to be present for this occasion. You and Mr. Mac have not only been two of the best educators I’ve ever had, but also two of the greatest of friends. You have both been a light in my life, in also in that of my family. You’ve been there to comfort us during our toughest hours; you’ve been there among much laughter and many great meals. You both will always hold a very special place in my heart.
You are the best… te amo mucho… y felicidades por un gran carrera.
Con Mucho Amor,
Justin “Rafí” Knabb (Exeter Class of 2001)
