To be honest, I used to hate science. I typically preferred more creative subjects until I came into Ms. Philp’s room freshman year for Chemistry and Physics A, and began to see it in a new light. Ms. Philp made everything seem fascinating, and she helped me realize that our world is so much more like a sci-fi movie than I had previously thought.

Though Ms. Philp has been an educator for longer than I have been alive, she still expresses wonder in what she teaches. Dylan said, “She’s really nice and she has a lot of passion and energy; she is always ‘mind-blown’ when she’s teaching.” This is one of the many things that that I think makes her a great teacher.  Even if you’ve never cared about science, her passion will rub off on you and keep you engaged.

Other than her unwavering enthusiasm, Ms. Philp shines through her care for her students. I remember once in my freshman year when I was having a really terrible day, Ms. Philp noticed and let me sit in the hall to be alone. She then came out a few minutes later with a note of encouragement that I still carry with me to this day. Oh, and candy.

Additionally, Violet agrees that Ms. Philp is a “very good listener”. I feel like I could tell her anything, and she would not judge or ridicule me in any way. Now, I tell her about my college search and how excited I am to be leaving Seattle and doing something completely new, and when I confide in her, she is nothing but supportive and genuinely happy for me.

When I told Ms. Philp that I was taking AP Bio this year and would have her as a teacher again, she hugged me and smiled in her signature, slightly insane way: proclaiming ,“We are reunited!”

No one is perfect, but I am confident that Ms. Philp tries her best every day to be as close to her students as possible: not for her own benefit, but for the good of her students.