CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- One Olympic High School senior, Jha'liah Frierson, recently made a difference in the lives of 23 people by giving out thank you notes to each of her teachers for their hard work throughout the year.

  • Frierson gave out 23 letters total.
  • She was a quiet freshman who only got out of her shell because of teachers.
  • Each teacher keeps his or her letter close.

Teacher Shelbi Larkin was having one of those days most teachers can relate to.

“I was having a very bad day,” said Larkin. “I woke up and I was crying because being a teacher is hard sometimes.”

However, her day changed when she got a knock on the classroom door from one of her students, Frierson.

In her hand was a letter addressed to Larkin. The letter thanked her for all of her work.

The tears from that morning were replaced with tears from a different emotion.

“I feel great reading that letter. It really makes me feel like I did a job well done for her and many other students,” Larkin said.

But Frierson didn't just write one letter. She knew there were a lot of teachers that made a big impact throughout her time in high school, so she began typing.

She gave out 23 letters. Each one was double spaced, a page long and signed.

“I felt like I had to write and express how I felt after knowing these teachers for so long, and how they've impacted my life,” Frierson said.

It wasn't something Frierson would have done a few years ago.

She was a quiet freshman who only got out of her shell because of teachers like Desmond Blackett.

“She definitely has a concern and care for all people,” Blackett said.

Each teacher keeps his or her letter close.

“I think as a teacher those are one of those things that you always want to hear from a student,” Blackett said.

In a time when teachers have more stressed than ever, a simple note can turn a bad day into one they'll never forget.

If you have an idea for an Everyday Hero please email Spectrum News at everydayheroes@charter.com

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