Brucie Essay, Research Paper

He was well over six feet with dark brown skin, graying, balding hair. I would guess he weighed 240 pounds, most of the excess being carried in a potbelly. This was my high school chemistry teacher Mr. Bruce V. White.

Mr. White or as we adoringly called him (never to his face of course) Brucie, was a man that had dedicated over 30 years of his life to teaching. This kind of dedication was evident in everything he did. He held enrichment classes in the summer for the advanced placement students. During the school year he taught labs for his AP class at 6 a.m.

His students knew he cared about them even though he tried to hide it. I never understood why he sometimes put on a front to mask his feelings. I think he was trying to have a strictly teacher ? student attitude. He always called us by our last names, but one day, after being in his class two years, he and I were in the lab making solutions for the next lab and he said, ?Charles will you hand me?? and I said, ?You called me Charles!? he apologized. I told him that was okay. I told him he could call me Chuck if he wanted. He declined the offer and continued with his work.

I never really knew what he thought of me. I was a good student and always volunteered when he needed help, but there were times when my lab partner, and I would set fire to anything flammable or mix chemicals to form a really toxic gas. Still, I decided to ask him for a letter of recommendation for a scholarship. I got the scholarship and enclosed with the award letter were copies of my application, essay, activities sheet, and Mr. White?s letter. I had never been more praised. I was so proud of myself for earning the praises of a man I respected so much. But, what he did to really make me happy was after graduation he said, ?Congratulations come back and help with the labs Chuck!?