Lily

     A few days ago I said goodbye to one of the most inspiring individuals that I have ever met. Like me, Lily was an Oral English teacher at Yi Zhong. She had been teaching at Yi Zhong for nine months, and in this time I truly believe that she made a profound impact on her students’ lives.

     Lily is a 50 year old Singaporean woman who has spent the past twenty years teaching in marginalized areas. She is very active in her church in Singapore, and for the five years previous to her stay in YUmen, she worked with her church in East Timone. There she helped establish a school for children to learn English. I am not entirely sure what she did in the years previous to this, but I am sure that it was substantial.

     The amazing thing about Lily is that I truly believe that she has spent her life trying to improve the lives of others. She taught English with the intent of improving her students’ grammar and pronunciation. However, she also tried to use her lessons as a tool to build the self esteem and the morale of her students. I once asked a boy if Lily was his teacher, and he responded, "Yes, she is my teacher, but she is also my friend!" For many of her students, Lily was not just a teacher, nor was she just a friend. She was a role model, and one of the people that helped them most in their quests to make something of their lives. This was especially evident in Lily's last hour on Yi Zhong's campus. A large crowd of students gathered around her to say goodbye. They sang songs, took pictures, and a few students even started to cry. It was not until this moment that I realized how much Lily's absence from Yumen will be noticed. Lily made a profound impact on the lives of her students. While I do not believe that I will be able to make such an impact, I do look to Lily as a role model for how I should teach, and how I should relate to my students.

     Now, Lily is home in Singapore, where she will spend the next few months. She is not sure where she will go next, but she hopes to go to somewhere in Latin America. Whatever town that she lands in next will surely be blessed.