Nothing ever stays the exact same. People go through change; countries, politics, it all changes at one point or another. English teacher Esther Drish has had hands-on experience with the process of reaching her goal and where she wants to be in life.

“I was not one of those ‘you know when you’re young’ type of teachers,” Drish said. “I knew I wanted to work with other people and I wanted to pursue counseling. That was the plan.”

When life offers hints as to where a person belongs, some aren’t clearly read until the point of destination. Drish said she looked back at her time as a student and realized that her love for English was sparked by previous teachers.

“Having the opportunity to work with younger people, feeling like I was influencing these young minds in some way,that’s what matters to me.” Drish said. “I had always enjoyed English in school, and I wanted to spread that passion.”

Drish knew that she wanted to work with high schoolers because she wanted the conversation. But dreams that people strive for always come with hard work. Even after the goal is achieved, stress levels still remain high and the work does not get easier.

“Teachers are on the front lines; it’s as if we’re on stage,” Drish said. “The minute those classes start, we are on stage, we cannot relax. You can’t say, ‘I don’t feel like teaching.’ You’re on high alert, like an air traffic controller.”

Although the work can be distracting, Drish said she finds ways to bond with her students, establishing a connection with each of them. She said one thing she’s learned from teaching is that no single person can be judged by the way the look or talk; people have no clue of what’s going on inside each individual person.

“My first period came together before school to class, bringing their breakfast before school, we started calling it ‘the breakfast club,’ Drish said. “We would sit and talk about what was going on the world. When the kids aren’t afraid to express their opinion and learning how to do it with an open mind, I knew that I was doing what I was hoping to do.”

Drish said she hopes to leave a mark on her students, to encourage them to embrace their passions and to pursue them like she did with hers. She aspires to encourage the young people who go through her class to go out into the world with a ready mind.

“These are lessons you can carry outside the classroom, just in dealing with your fellow adults,” Drish said. “It’s about hoping to send you out into the world as critical civic participant in the world.”