Going into the school year, I remembered being welcomed with a warm embrace.

“It’s nice to see you in the flesh,” a simple phrase, yet for some reason I acknowledge this moment with remembrance and appreciation. For the most part, everyone had the preconceived notion that junior year would be the most difficult year of a high schooler’s career, and the rumors were right, yet, for me because of Apache News I’m making it through the school year with open arms and excitement for the future. 

Walking into the classroom doors of Room A102, numerous posters are hung on the walls, and upon closer examination, each poster has been skillfully edited featuring students and Mr. Suñez on the covers. A simple addition to the room, yet they capture the merit of the classroom, innovation and creativity.

He developed a class where ideas are taken and developed into something beautiful that the whole school is able to view as amazing. This is all instituted by Mr. Suñez who encourages this expressiveness. His ability to have an objective in his head and then put it into motion is remarkable. During the Halloween show of this year, it started off as an idea to simply put a pumpkin on the desk during the show, but he helped curate it to what it was and put it into action. Dedicating his after school hours to helping his students with perfecting each show, he is a teacher who genuinely inspires.

From listening to his life stories about his past, being a 3 time Emmy award winner, to working with Justin Bieber on a movie set, he inspires me to live life to the fullest. Being effortlessly humorous, never a day goes by during the 4th period where the room isn’t filled with laughter. Room A102 is the only class where there are no limits and nothing is criticized. Mr. Suñez creates a sanctuary and safe environment for his students where my full authentic self is appreciated and welcomed. After developing a story, I go to Mr. Suñez to get it approved, and find myself looking forward to his critique in order to create a story to the best of my ability.

No matter how big or small the challenge is, Mr. Suñez is always helping make it happen. Being so involved with Apache News and our lives, he actually understands and empathizes with us. He understands the pressure of other extracurricular activities and makes flexible schedules for us. He is always constantly helping to improve our studio and looks out for the best efforts of the class rather than what is most convenient. 

Spending his after school hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays purely to help us with rehearsing for the broadcasts every Friday, no one quite understands how much effort he puts into making these happen, and there needs to be more appreciation around him. Each Friday, APN’s broadcasts are streamed on YouTube. This wouldn’t be able to happen without the guidance of Mr. Suñez. From the four months of having him as my teacher, I learned the most valuable lesson: pursue your passions, regardless of what’s deemed acceptable, and also never unscrew anything all the way. 

So thank you, Mr Suñez, for being the only teacher who has ever actually understood me. Thank you for not limiting our creativity to guidelines, and thank you for encouraging us to be our true selves and inspiring me and the whole class to pursue their dreams, no matter how unreachable they may seem. Being such an inspiring and accomplished teacher, I look up to him for his determined and hardworking nature.