A Calling to Build Better Visions

Feb 25 , 2023
By Eden Sahle

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Several young students I met a little over a year ago had incredible stories to tell about their teacher Senait Gebretsadik who currently works at Character Hallmark Academy. She has been teaching for over two decades in various schools building strong bonds and lasting connections with her students.

They testified to her tireless work to create a nurturing environment where they were able to learn mutual respect and teamwork. To date, I have had the opportunity to witness their progress in life and attest to them internalising individual responsibilities and supporting one another to excel, a threat they attribute to their beloved teacher.

Senait inspires students to have diversified skills through her passion for learning. She constantly educates herself on the quest to provide the latest and quality education to students instilling the same drive in them.

Her students seek not only concerning academic challenges but for guidance in their personal lives. They believe she listens with compassion void of judgment, going out of her way to address the issue and make things better. They were in awe as she never fails to treat them with a pleasant attitude even on her bad days.

Senait treats the students as her own. A year ago when one of her students died in a car accident and she mourned as if she lost her own child. She cared enough about teenagers to take them out of drug addictions and the associated behaviours that came with them. The students open up about their mistakes and failures as they feel safe around her.

I was eager to meet this remarkable woman who influenced many young people’s lives. To my surprise, the woman who had been impacting generations for over two decades looked 20 years old herself. She is warm, and polite with an incredible memory. She remembers all her students not just by name but including their life history.

Her colleagues speak highly of her, affirming what her students told me. Senait is kind and humble but also a firm disciplinarian. Her classroom management techniques serve as a hallmark to other teachers. She considers teaching as a calling to make a difference in the lives of students. The ones that join universities all over the world send her gifts of gratitude when they reach a milestone and seek her usual advice on the challenges they face.

A person might have a strong bond with a teacher or be indifferent. A good number of students spend their days in academic institutions hoping for a respite day when they no longer have to deal with emotionally distant teachers.

Teaching is a calling. A professional needs to be concerned with the overall lives of students helping them use their full potential. It is impressive to find one that has a practical impact on student's life enabling them to weigh options and consider the moral implications of their choices.

One of the qualities that set Senait exceptionally apart from others is she does not give up on her students however long it takes to bring them to the right track. The students she helped get sober through her persistent involvement. They usually do not have enough words to thank her. But for Senait the only reward is seeing these students thrive in life.

I did not just walk out with a great story of her influence on students and teachers but also learned a lot after I got the privilege of meeting her in person. She is a woman of great calibre who leaves others better than she found them.

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PUBLISHED ON Feb 25,2023 [ VOL 23 , NO 1191]

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