Pusher

I want to make sure Mr. Coate knows that while there may have been a handful of students that made him question why he ever wanted to teach, the majority of his pupils valued every bit of information he took the time to tell us. These students are some of the best that have ever graduated from Meridian High School, and it is a shame that future students that will never get to experience the quality and toughness of a great teacher like Mr. Coate, who forced us to work to our full potential.

Mr. Coate took me aside in lab one day Spring of my senior year when I had been planning to go to the University of Illinois and was offered an athletic scholarship to go to Parkland. I didn't know if I was making the right choice, choosing Parkland over a school like the U of I. The day I chose the scholarship Mr. Coate gave me a pep talk about the things he thought I was capable of. I'm a modest person and at the time I thought he was just being nice, and was a little embarrassed to tell the truth. As time has gone by I've thought back on his words and realized that what he said gave me the impetus to create my own opportunities instead of waiting for life to give me my hand. He pushed me to be a better student than I thought I could be, and whether he knows it or not he has made a great difference in my life.

Thanks again,

Alix Phelps