An Unsung Hero
by Harnoor Gill
Harnoor Gill, a KidSpirit contributor from Ontario, Canada, tells us about an everyday hero from his community.
My French teacher in Grade 6 and 7, Melissa Bottomley, is an unsung hero who is a great asset to the school community. Not only does she devote her life to teaching, but she’s also a mother, wife, and a great friend.
Last year was my first year at Stewarttown Middle School and she played a tremendous role during my transition from Peel to Halton. Even though she was my French teacher and not my homeroom teacher, she showed a lot of concern for me and how I was doing in French class.
In 2010 at the Big Daddy Festival I performed an East Indian Punjabi Dance. I was pretty nervous to perform in front of an audience who didn’t understand the lyrics. Mme Bottomley attended and said, “You can dance because you’re a wonderful dancer. Just remind yourself that you’re just practicing your dance moves and nobody is watching you.” That was when I gained confidence and was fully prepared to perform. When I was about to start my dance, however, I was told to introduce myself because no one knew who I was. There was no emcee to announce my dance and what I was doing because the performers were randomly performing on the stage. At that moment I got butterflies in my stomach because I didn’t know what to say.
Join us next week to read more about how Harnoor’s unsung hero helped give him the confidence to succeed in this and other challenges!
