I remember walking into Visor for the first time Junior year. At the time, I thought it would just be a normal class where I’d write a little bit and get an easy “A”. But boy, was I wrong. Visor was anything but a normal class for me, it’s one of the best experiences I had at Hoban. 

Visor is the best class Hoban has to offer. Not one of the best. The best. I learned more practical skills in Visor than in every other class by a long-shot. Obviously, I became a much better writer through Visor, which is a skill I’ll always use. But more importantly, the class taught me how to function and be a leader in a workplace. Visor’s run more like a business than a class, which gave me a true sense of how I’ll have to transition from school to a job or internship. I learned so much in Visor that I’ll use for the rest of my life.

While what I learned during the class is very important, it’s only a small fraction of what made Visor special. The people made Visor special. 

The first person I have to talk about is the man, the myth, the legend: TK Griffith. His presence is the reason this class is as great as it is. He’s taught me a lot of what I know about writing and he always knows the perfect balance of work and socializing for the class. Most importantly though, he genuinely cares about every one of us. I’ve never had a teacher who’s cared so much about not just our academic progress, but our personal lives. His room always feels like a safe space where I can be myself and not have to worry about whatever else is going on in the world. Thank you TK, you’re the best teacher I’ve ever had.

Of course, TK isn’t the only person who makes Visor special. My fellow editor-in-chiefs, Alex and Sara, have been the best co-leaders I could’ve hoped for. First of all, thanks for doing so much work, I haven’t met many people with a higher work ethic than you two. Also, I’ve enjoyed becoming better friends with both of you this year. I didn’t know either of you very well coming into this year and I’m so thankful I changed that. Knowing I had both of you to talk to in Visor everyday made the class so much better, as you were always there to brighten my day and lead the class in the right direction. 

The rest of the Visor class also made every day better. Luke was always ready to help out with leadership tasks and definitely had some of the best jokes of the year. Grace’s constant compassion radiated throughout the room and I knew she was always there to talk to everyone. Gavin consistently came to class prepared and was always the nicest person in the room. Maia’s strength inspired everyone and her articles were always unique and captivating. Mia and Vic are the best young writers I know and Visor will definitely be in good hands with them leading next year. 

And don’t worry, I didn’t forget about Dylan. Whether TK was reprimanding us for talking about football the entire class or we were actually reading each other’s articles – when we wrote them – he made every single class better. His friendship has greatly improved my senior year and I’ll miss him a lot in college, along with the rest of this wonderful class. 

For the past two years, Visor has given me a reason to be excited for school. While I’m looking forward to college and am ready to move on in life, I’ll always miss coming into TK’s classroom, ready for whatever new memories I’ll make that day. I’ll probably never have a class as special as Visor and I’ll cherish every moment of it for the rest of my life.