Before assigning me to a 5th grade classroom, Sister Eunice, the school principal, had me take an assessment test. This was a standard practice for new admissions. The test results revealed that I had a 1st grade reading level and below 1st grade math level. She decided that holding me back a year was in my best interest. I soon discovered that a number of other kids I’d gone to public school with (though not all) had also been held back. They’d transferred the previous year.

I was assigned to Sister Helen Mary’s class. The first day I distinctly remember opening my math book and nearly having a heart attack. I’d never seen most of this math before. I was sure that I’d fail and that my father would kill me for wasting the tuition money, but Sister Helen knew better. She kept a few of my classmates and I after school so she could tutor us in all our subjects. She never treated us like we were stupid and never got exasperated when we didn’t get something the first time. Sister was always supportive and really listened to our concerns, as a result I never felt like I was being punished because I had to stay after school. No adult had ever done that for me before. Her encouragement made me want to work harder because I didn’t want to disappoint her by falling short of the potential she saw in me.

I wanted to let her know how I felt about what she was doing for me but was a rather shy little girl. Since Sister Helen always drove the convent’s car, I used to leave little thank you notes and flowers I’d picked under the driver’s side windshield wiper to show my appreciation.

In one year, I advanced from a 1st grade to a 5th grade level in all subjects that says a lot about her commitment to her calling and about private education. I received the award for most improved student in Reading SRA. Reading SRAs were story cards with comprehension questions. They were a part of our regular lessons and we were expected to complete so many in a week’s time. I started the fifth grade level about two weeks before school let out. I still have the award and my report card. As I write this, I’m crying because I know that if it hadn’t been for her I never would have made it into college. I owe her a great debt that I can never fully repay save with these simple words of tribute before you now.

Sister Helen was transferred elsewhere not long after that, which greatly saddened me. She came back to the school for a visit about two years later. She didn’t remember me, but with the amount of students that had passed through her grade book over the years, I didn’t really expect her to. All that was important was that I remembered her.

It is because of Sister Helen Mary’s efforts that I am a literate person rather than a functionally illiterate one. Her gift for teaching has greatly enriched my life and the knowledge that I gained allowed me to become a published author. Thank you Sister Savior, full of grace!