Thank You Rick Johnson, The Best Teacher I Ever Had

When I think about the teachers that shaped me into the functioning adult I am, there is only one that comes to the top of the list.

Rick Johnson was my TV Production teacher my Senior year of High School. I was fortunate enough to go to a school that had a fully functioning, broadcast quality, TV station in the school.

I originally took the class because I thought it would be a great elective to occupy my time during my last year of high school. Little did I know, that class would shape the rest of my life.

The Seattle Times put it wonderfully when they interviewed Mr. Johnson back in 2005. The class was hit with a power outage, and Mr. Johnson just saw it as opportunity.

The TV production students wonder how they're going to pull off making a morning news show without electricity. But their teacher, Rick Johnson, couldn't be happier. A smile plays at the corners of his mouth.

"These are dire circumstances, just like in the real world," he says. "The show must go on."

My time with him as my teacher was no different. There was never any obstacles to him, only opportunities.

Thank you Mr. Johnson. Your passion is what lead me into my current career. You will always be awesome to me!