Seniors Honor Favorite Teacher

Dual credit English teacher Keith Whitaker dresses up a Gandolf to inspire and motivate his seniors.

Tedi Blassingame, Managing Editor

Holding the title of everyone’s favorite teacher is a tough job, but Keith Whitaker does the job well.

Dual credit English teacher and former vice principal Keith Whitaker loves his students almost as much as they love him. He has earned the title due to his off-the-wall stories and random antics that his students just cannot get enough of.

As a result of the undeniable love from his students, they decided to buy him a brand new Keurig as a special thanks for all the things he has done for them. 

“Andrea gave me the idea,” senior class president Yadira Yepez said. “I was just the one who actually organized it.”

Mr. Whitaker allows his students to use his coffee maker on a daily basis and provides them with snacks, hot chocolate, and even breakfast some days. Unfortunately, his coffee maker is on the brink of quitting, so Yepez decided that if everyone in the class pitched in a small amount of money, they would be able to get him a new one and even some extras to go with it.

“If everyone brings the amount of money they said they would, we’ll have around $200,” senior Karley Thomassen said. “That’ll be enough to buy him the Keurig, pods for it, and maybe even a new fan.”

Whitaker was concerned when his students asked to have a meeting out of nowhere, but was pleasantly surprised when he found out why. Each and every one of his students gathered around his desk and watched as he opened his gifts with joy.

“For a person who is supposed to know all the right words, I am at a loss for them,” Whitaker said. “Just know that I love each and every one of you more than any other – other than close family. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, for I am sincerely yours.”