Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in a five-part series.

Though I had a jam-packed schedule in my junior year of high school,  U.S. History with Mr. Joe Edwards was always a bright spot in my day. Since middle school, I’ve been fascinated by studying United States Presidents. Mr. Edwards’ extensive knowledge in that area of United States history made him the ideal U.S. history teacher for me.

I’ve gone to many classes dreading lectures but Mr. Edwards’ class was definitely not one of them. His frequent lectures are extremely informative, which made it easy for me to succeed academically in his class, but he also has a knack for making them interesting. Mr. Edwards is never at a loss of words when students ask him even the most obscure questions about United States history– he always seems to have a book he’s read or a funny story to accompany every question.

Though his class moves very quickly and covers a rather extensive amount of material, Mr. Edwards never lets the curriculum overshadow real-world issues. There were many occasions last year when Mr. Edwards would break away from a lecture for large chunks of the period to discuss current events in the U.S. ranging from Congress’s agenda to news regarding the United States’ foreign affairs. I walked out of his class determined to be a more astute citizen– one that watches the news and becomes as informed as possible before voting– thanks to Mr. Edwards’ efforts to connect the history curriculum to real-world occurrences.

So, I’d like to thank Mr. Edwards for all of the assistance he gave me in my endeavors with the Illinois History Fair and in U.S. history class. His not-so subtle sarcasm combined with his immense knowledge of United States history made me excited to go to his class every day. It’s nice to know that there are still teachers that, like Mr. Edwards, have a passion for the subject(s) they teach.