Women Who Inspire Me: Tara Pidgeon

How many people can say they have a teacher who not only taught them a great deal, but also inspired them, cared for them and became one of their loved ones? Actually, many people can say that and I’m thankful to say I’m one of them, the teacher in question for me is Tara Pidgeon. Today is her birthday and during this Women’s History Month I want to tell the story of how this amazing woman inspired me.

I first met Tara in the fall of 2009 when I started my junior year in highschool at Smith High in Greensboro, North Carolina. She ended up being my English teacher for the first semester. With her feisty New York born personality she instantly stood out. Tara was younger than most of the other teachers we had, so she really had a way of understanding that connected with her students better than some of the other teachers. She really has a genuine sense of dedication to seeing her students learn and grow. Tara was also known for being brutally honest and was never afraid to tell you how she feels.

My earliest interactions with her started off like the rest of the kids. I appreciated how relatable she was as a teacher and she was good at keeping us motivated both in and outside of the classroom. Before highschool I was definitely one of the worse students a teacher could have because I was just outright lazy. My highschool years are when I started bettering myself. Tara Pidgeon shares alot of the credit for why I grew. Between making her class enjoyable as well as showing genuine care in my development as one of her student, I became a better student. With how hard I worked and how smart I was I definitely became one of her favorite students, though she was reluctant to admit it at the time.

When my senior year arrived I ended up having Tara as my English 12 teacher once more. It was also at this time that my mother had just passed away a month earlier. As soon as I shared this with Tara she gave me the biggest hug of comfort. I knew then she was more than just a great teacher to have, but someone who really cared. For the duration of that semester she pushed me to make sure I made it to graduation. During award season at the end of the year she granted me an award for my senior project. It was one of the only awards I ever obtained in all my school years.

After I graduated from high school me and Tara remained close. She ended up convincing me to volunteer as a judge for senior projects in the years after I graduated and I was big on giving everyone I judged the same advice that Tara had given me. Something else that also kept us close was our commemoration of the September 11th attacks. 9/11 had a big impact on me my whole life growing up and Tara comes from New York and is a big fitness person so she convinced me to start going with her to the 9/11 stairclimb which is a stair climbing event held ever year during the week of the anniversary of 9/11.

In all my years in college Tara cheered me on and supported me and gave me wise counseling whenever it was needed. More than just a teacher and a mentor, Tara is one of my best friends who has always given nothing but love. She is an educator who loves and cares about all of her students and many of us have become better because of her. Tara Pidgeon is living proof that a teacher isn’t just a babysitter to children for seven hours of a school day, but also someone who can genuinely love and support their pupils. Not just a teacher, not just a friend, but also an incredible woman who has inspired me greatly. Happy birthday Tara, love you teach.