THROUGHOUT the
month of June, the
North Shore News
ran a series of ads

that asked our readers
to write letters to us,
nominating the indi-
viduals, groups or
organizations they felt
were herves in our
community.

We'd like to thank every-
one for taking the time to
write about your heroes,
and although deciding
which letters we would pub-
lish made for a very difficult
choice, out of all the letters
we received, the following
four were chosen, two for
individuals, and nwo for a
rather well known group.

A

re’s to

HEWS photo Mike Wakefietd

Sanaz Ghasemi writes about
Miss Cho, her teacher and hero.

My Worid’s Hero

On the 21st of September in
the year 1994, I met the
role model of my dreams. It
was the first year that |

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would have been able to go
to school in Canada. I felt
lonely, depressed, sad, and
homesick. I had never been
this far from my relatives in
Iran. Bur even before all
that F fele as though | had
become dumb. f did not
know a word in’ English.

When I was seven and a half

years old, my. sister had
taught me how to say, “Edo
not know english,” but that
was all.

Just as the secretary of my
school showed me around
the class, I could not help
noticing my teacher busy in
some marking criteria. From
that moment on, something
inside me cried out tor her
and I knew I wouid never
forget her warm smile and
beautiful face. I was cight
years old then, bur now
after four whole years I still
think about her now and
then. She was the one who
gave me back my faith, hope
and self-esteem. Her name
was Miss Cho. Along the
side of being a wonderfully
talented teacher, she was, in
my opinion, the most caring
and loving person someone
would have seen in a life-
time. She gave me the gift
of courage and advencur-
ous. At times when I was
down and felt like a mess,
she lifted my spirits and
made my problems scem as
small as the stone on her
earring. Some people may
think good teachers are
teachers who do not give
much homework or are easy
on their students. But I
know, deep in their heart
exists something more than
how manv pages of home-
work to give. In Miss Cho's,
1 believe, exists love, securi-
ty, care, safery, and again,
pure love. I remember the

Wednesday, June 36, 1999 - North Shore News - 23.

loca! hero

day she announced to me
that she was getting mar-
tied. I was about to burst
into tears. but decided tc
keep them for later, for I did
not want to disappeint my
hero. When [ arrived home
and teld my mons the con-
sequences, J tried, bur could
not hold back the tears this
time. ears like pearls
streamed down my cheeks,
tor [ thought I had lost her.
I thought when she became
married and gave birth to
cither a boy or a girl, she
would forget me and leave
me forever. But [ was
wrong. A person as mar-
velous as her could not and
would not let me go. It had
been proven to me, because
she had invited me to her
wedding. So [ found hope.
It was then when I discov-
ered how I felt towards her.
She was like an angel to me,
an angel whom I will never

forget or make its way out of

my mind. although it’s been
many years since I have seen
her, I still believe in her pres-
ence in my mind and her
special place in my heart.
Sanaz Ghasemi

(11 years old)

My Teacher Hero

It was in the fall of 1967
when I first met my hero. [
was starting grade 10, my
first year of high school at
Delbrovk in North
Vancouver, and he was my
history teacher. He taught
us about the feudal system
centuries ago and about lite
today. In those days it was
common tor young people
to hang out at somebody's
house and discuss politics,
world) peace and drugs.
Remember it was the ‘60s
and we were going to

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change the world, I guess
through much turbulence
we did. Since our teacher
was not really much older

than us, the students found.

an casy rapport.with him
and often migrated to his
home on a Friday night co
hang out. We sat around

drinking espresso and rap-
ping Re wee hours of
, salving all the
world’s problems.

He always:hiad time fer his
studcats, at school and off. I
guess we just knew he cared
about us, for cach year there
continued on page 26

Our Volunteer Recognition and
Appreciation Program recently recognised
10 dedicated volunteers as Community
Hero Award Winners.

Mike Andrews
Lin Ardington
Peggy Cardno
Eva Francis
Beb Paxton

Carol McQuarrie
Robyn Smaill
Donna Stewart
Gordon Stewart
Bev Williams

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