Jeff Lakatos

Mr. Lakatos was the most memorable and influential teacher I had. When I was in his class, he was tough. I didn’t understand some of his ways at the time. But upon reflection, I see how much he cared about all of us. He lead with passion, purpose, and truth. In his class, there were times of laughter, and times of tears. But he did his absolute best to unite all of us and shared his vulnerability and life experiences to try to help us grow. I was in his class from sixth grade to my senior year of high school. I left his class my last semester because I simply didn’t have the passion or discipline for playing the violin. He expected a lot out of us, but that wasn’t a bad thing. One memory I will cherish and hold close to my heart forever is that he is the only teacher who ever stood up for me. I have a vocal condition that causes chronic hoarseness. It’s something that I really struggled with as a girl growing up, as I had endured unkind words, criticism, and countless questions since a young age. One day, he overheard another child mocking the way my voice sounded. I will never forget, he gracefully (not naming the child, as not to publicly shame them but to instill that his class was a safe space for all of us) in front of the class called out that person for being unkind, and gave me a chance to explain to the class my medical condition. No one has ever done that for me before. I was bullied in school, I think most kids were.. but I know other teachers witnessed this, and none of them - except him - ever stood up for me. It meant a lot. I remember trying not to cry as I explained my condition to the class because I was so moved. I want to leave giving Mr. Lakatos the praise he deserves for being a great teacher. I look back at my time in his class with fondness and appreciation. Some people are simply meant to be teachers, and he is indeed one of them.