- I wanna take this opportunity to explain to you
how you've impacted my life.
My freshman year I was going through some very hard times
with my mental health, but you changed this.
You saved my life Joe.
And without you, I doubt I would be here right now.
(gentle music)
- [Interviewer] Do you know what you're doing here?
- I have no idea and I'm a little concerned.
(woman laughing)
- [Interviewer] Go ahead and put those headphones on.
- Now you guys are scaring me.
- Hello, oh my gosh wait, is this live?
- [Interviewer] Yeah.
- Carl, Carl!
- [Interviewer] Did you invite someone here today?
- I did, I invited my radio teacher, Joe Bryant.
- My 10th grade chemistry teacher Nicole Thomas Sally.
- [Interviewer] What do you have in your hand?
- It's a letter to him.
- [Interviewer] Why?
- To show my appreciation to him.
- I got same here.
- I wrote you a letter because Joe is such an impactful
and amazing person in my life.
- Dear Ms. Thomas Sally.
- Dear Mr. Washington.
- I wanna take this opportunity to explain to you
how you've impacted my life.
- I appreciate everything you have done for me
when you became my teacher back in seventh grade.
- I remember the first day of my freshman year
because it was the first class of the day.
You were doing an introductions to the class
and having everyone share their name.
And when it got to me and I was sharing,
you said in front of the class,
"wow, now that's a voice made for radio."
I know this is a sentence you've probably said it
multiple times to so many other people
but it was one of the most impactful things
that someone's said to me.
- Unfortunately, I was bullied a lot.
This kind of prevented me
from establishing a circle of people that I can talk to
or look forward to when I'm coming to school.
- My whole life I've always been insecure about my voice.
And I was told a lot growing up,
my voice was too low for a girl.
And I was mimicked for having a speech impediment
because of you, Joe,
I learned to be less insecure about my voice
and not care what people said.
- You were the class that has made me happy
about going to school.
You would let me indulge in my interests.
You showing that appreciation and taking the time,
sparked that idea of I'm worth more than I think I am.
(calm music)
- You show me how to be a great person.
I was really not good at being nice or kind to people
but you helped me overcome that
and made me enjoy meeting new people and doing new things.
- My freshman year,
I was going through some very hard times
with my mental health
and I didn't have the energy
to wanna get up in the morning and to go to school
but you changed this.
Your class made me wanna show up to school
and gave me a reason to get up in the morning.
I can genuinely say that you saved my life, Joe
and without you, I doubt I would be here right now.
- I think about this very often.
And I just want you to know that, you know,
it'd be a bit funny
to call you my first friend in high school
but that was basically the case.
I really wanna say, thank you for being my friend.
- You was like a father figure to me.
You really was in my life
when I was going from home to home
and I never really had someone to guide me.
Thank you very much, I appreciate you.
- Oh my God, Carl.
- Joe, you're not only the best teacher I've had
but an incredible person.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart
for always being there for me
and for being an amazing teacher and friend.
- Thank you Ms. Thomas Sally.
You are the best.
- [Interviewer] What was that like, hearing that from her?
- Amazing, this is everything, right?
Cause sorry, teaching is really, really hard job
and you don't ever get to get (sniffling)
or you rarely get to hear that from your students, you know.
- [Interviewer] How'd that feel to hear
that letter from her?
- Great, I'm just so blessed to have students like Molly.
And it really means a lot coming from her
because I didn't know that she was feeling
some of the feelings she expressed in that letter.
- What are you saying I've done it for him.
I don't think it even equates
for what he's actually done for me.
Just hearing that, 'cause that's (exhales deeply)
It hits me, man.
- [Interviewer] Well, let's have you go in and see him.
(soft music)
- Thank you so much. - Of course Joe.
- That means a ton to me.
(hands greeting loudly)
- Hi, Ms. Thomas Sally. - Hey.
- It's you and baby now.
Oh my goodness.
- This is Max. - Oh my God.
Hi Max
- What was it like hearing?
- It was, it's intense, you know,
cause you never know if you're able to really help a kid.
And so just sharing that, I appreciate that.
- What was it like, hearing what I had to say?
- It's just super emotional, right?
It's like, this is why I became a teacher.
This is everything to me.
- Why you put so much effort, bro?
- You're a good kid, bro.
And you had a lot of people telling you that you weren't.
My goal was to show you, right bro I love you, period.
So no matter if you mad,
no matter if you're doing well or not, bro
you got somebody that's gonna advocate for you
no matter what.
- I've been through a lot with my mental health
and I would say that you giving me a passion for radio
and being such an amazing teacher to me, really.
It really gave me a reason to wanna get up
and to keep going and like persevere through everything.
- You put on a strong face, Molly.
Because I didn't know some of that
but if you ever need somebody to talk to,
I'm a pretty good listener.
I don't ever wanna see students suffer in silence
about anything.
- Self pity and fear.
Those are things that you knew somehow like,
like how to push away.
- Why do you think I approach my teaching that way?
I was miserable when I was also,
when I was in high school.
I feel like I went through a lot of similar things.
The best thing would be just to know the type of impact
(baby cooing) you can have on other people
- You are the reason why I went to grad school.
Why I made it a point to get my master's degree
in education with the emphasis on emotional learning.
- [Interviewer] How does that feel,
hearing that you motivated him?
- I mean, it feels good
'cause now I know we can both make a changes on us going on.
- I'm gonna be just like flying high
on all these love vibes.
- I'm happy, I'm making you feel loved
because you're the only person
at that period in my life that made me feel loved.
- Well, thank you very much.
- I appreciate you bro, like for real, man.
- [Interviewer] Thank you guys, so much (clapping).