An Astoria sixth-grader’s heartfelt and inspiring tribute to his teacher was selected for display at the Dear New York exhibit, which ran in Grand Central Terminal during October.
The special exhibit, which was on display from Oct. 6 through Oct. 19, featured the work of 300 students throughout New York City who were selected out of many participants who submitted their work, which invited students to submit a photograph of someone who inspires them, along with a paragraph describing the positive impact they’ve had on their lives.
Jaxon Hili, who attends St. Francis of Assisi in Queens, submitted a piece about his teacher, Jennifer Flores, describing all the ways she inspires and helps him, along with his fellow classmates, in ways that have made an impact beyond the classroom.
“Ms. Flores is my favorite teacher and she has helped me the most,” said Hili. “I wrote it with my mom, and she helped me with spelling some of the words.”
Hili initially submitted the piece after his mother discovered the campaign and encouraged him to submit a story. Submissions were sent by students from elementary, middle and high schools in NYC for the exhibit, which was curated by Brandon Stanton, the creator of Humans of New York. Hili, who wears a hearing aid, has been especially appreciative of the extra care and concern Flores has shown for him and his brother, as well as making school both fun and educational for him and his classmates.
The exhibit celebrated the community members who quietly keep the city going, inspiring everyone, including kids and teens, along their journey. Hili’s work being selected and displayed was certainly an exciting moment, and the student’s kind words left a heartwarming impression on Flores, who has been his teacher for the past two years.
“I found out after he was already selected, I think it was the day before the exhibit opened, and I cried because it was just so beautiful,” said Flores. “I also felt really humbled, because I don’t think a lot of people realize that teachers help students grow, and the students help teachers grow in a lot of ways. Jaxon actually taught me so much in the past two years that I’ve had him, so it was just very humbling.”
In the piece, which was displayed at the Dear NY exhibit, he wrote the following:
“Every student would be lucky to have Miss Flores as a teacher once in their life. I’ve been lucky to have her for two years,” he wrote. “Miss Flores never gives up on me. Even when I’m struggling the most, she finds a way to help me succeed. Miss Flores is patient, kind, and understanding. She teaches middle school and knows how to make it fun while making sure we are learning. Miss Flores pushes for all of her students to get the support they deserve. My brother and I wear hearing aids, and she always makes sure that our teachers are wearing their mic devices and shares strategies with other teachers to make sure we feel included in our classes. Miss Flores has taught me the importance of what it means to care for others and be kind. She has taught me to believe in myself and that I am more capable than I sometimes think.”
While the Dear New York exhibit concluded on Oct. 19, those who wish to experience it can still do so virtually on the Dear New York website. Hili said he hopes people who see the display, including his kind words, will be inspired to believe in themselves and feel a sense of happiness when they read it.
“I think that he wants to give advice to other students to not be so quick to judge themselves,” said Flores. “Before, he wasn’t able to read or write, but he was always capable of doing it, and we talk about that a lot. I think now he realizes that he is very smart, he is very capable, and that’s something that I think every kid should know; just because you’re struggling in one thing, it does not mean you’re not still your best.”
To view the exhibit virtually, go to the Dear NY website.
