That One English Professor

The windows rattled when Mr. McDonnell boomed "Hello!" every morning to the students in the hallways. With the demeanor of a drill sergeant, he even frightened the senior football players who knew him only by sight. On my first day in Mr. McDonnell's English class, I honestly thought that he would kill English for me. But I soon came to realize that my first impressions of Mr. McDonnell had little to do with the kind …

…secret to Mr. McDonnell's remarkable personality. He worked hard to earn our interest, so we worked hard to earn his approval. Hidden within his intimidating exterior was a man of genuinely good character who had a keen ability to bring out the good character in others. He taught me that virtue is not found only in a select few individuals; the elements of good character and the ability to influence others live in us all.