Wesley Wagner (1989 - 2006)

Wesley W. (1989 - 2006)

I did a search on myspace for some of my very first students today, just to see if some of my predictions about the high school years would be accurate. Some were. Dead - on accurate. Others...not so much.

These particular students are now 16/17 years old and live in Sebastian, Florida. I happened to find this about Wesley, one of my favorite students.

We, as teachers, try not to pick favorites, but some students stand out and inevitably become ones we attach ourselves to. Wesley was definitely one of those few.

He was the first student whose name I learned on the very first day I taught at SRMS. When I began my first day of teaching there, he introduced himself and asked if I needed help with anything. He had a great sense of humor and was so bright. He was the most positive, sweet kid. He was eager to help pass out papers or get involved in projects with others. He was a little hyper, but he was passionate about academics and strived to be the best student in his class. He became involved in a variety of activities and continued that as he advanced in school.

He is among the top 5 from all of my years teaching (4 of the 5 actually are from his class!). I had planned to fly down to Florida in 2008 to see this particular group of students graduate. They were my students in middle school from 2002 to 2003, and I have this incredibly strong feeling of devotion to them.

Now, I don't want to go. Some of my favorites have moved away from the area, and Wesley died last summer. When I found the information on Friday, I just sat weeping. I'm not doing much better.

How can he be gone? How can he really be dead? Why didn't the teachers at SRMS contact me when it happened?

It's so strange. In my head, I can still see him at his desk. He is moving around. He turns sideways to talk to Chris. I can still hear his voice in my head. He is telling a joke and messing up the punchline.

This is the second student I have lost. Why do I stay in this profession when I know that my attachment to my students will devour me in times like these?

Rest in peace, Wesley. You are missed.