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08 June 2009

The one, the only: Becky Boberg

I have so many great memories of Ms. Boberg. I was in both her AP US History class and Religion class. The first day of AP US History she told us that we were going to fail our first test. This was a tactic to get rid of any kids that weren't willing to put in the work for the class and also because it was true. Our first test rolled around and I'm pretty sure every single kid in our class failed or got the lowest grade they'd ever gotten on a high school test. From there, any students left in the class began to learn and understand the kind of commitment that was required to do well in school and in life. It was the first time I stayed up all night to finish a school project and one of the best classes I've ever had, including all of my college courses. Because of her unrepentant ways, I learned to love not only history, but Ms. Boberg as well. She was the kind of person that I wanted to be. I wanted to be the kind of person who could connect with people, make them laugh, teach them, respect them, and garner their respect and admiration in turn.

And like I said, I've got many stories that I remember about her.

I remember walking up to her desk one day in class to ask her a question and being so caught off guard by her eyes. Instead of asking my question I asked her if she wore contacts. She said no and I responded lamely with, "wow, your eyes are really green". Then there was the time in Religions when she explained the word phallus. A kid had used it in his report to the class and didn't know what it meant. Of course she gave him crap, and asked him to explain what it meant. He finally admitted that he didn't know and so she did. He blushed for quite a while over that one.
Lastly though, I remember her signature. I was her TA during my senior year for the Religions class my last semester and a girl had asked her for a recommendation letter. Becky had us write it up the letter and sign it because she was out of town when it was due. I didn't want anyone to question its authenticity so I practiced her signature. It was really hard to copy and looked fantastic. Unfortunately I've never been able to adopt her looping B's.
I will miss her charisma, smile, and charm. I will miss her references to her druid ancestry and human sacrifices. I will miss her love of history and tab. But mostly I feel sorry for all of the students who will miss the opportunity to sit in one of her classes and learn. She was and will always be one of my favorite teachers.

And who knows. Maybe one day I'll be able to figure out which one I want to be a history teacher or an attorney. She once told me that if she hadn't been a teacher she would have been a guardian ad litem.

Her life has touched so many. She will be remembered and missed.

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