An Interview With Everyone's Favorite by Tessa Gori

      Freshman year, whilst we were all scrambling to find our classes, open our lockers, and navigate about this new, huge school, most of us were introduced to one Ms. Kate Brennan. A teacher who made us feel comfortable in this new, scary place full of older kids and harder workloads. Though she was very open about her life and her experiences in her class, how much do we know about her, really? That question prompted me to interview her, to dive deeper into the life of Ms. Brennan. When asked about the biggest turning point in her life, she responded with a heartbreaking story. At the young age of 26, she was rushed to the hospital to receive a life-saving procedure. The surgeons were forced to remove an ovary, resulting in intense hormone changes, plus they had to cut across her abdomen, which affected her self image. This was her wake up call to appreciate her life and it sent her on a dark road.

        Off of that sad note, I then asked her what makes her the happiest. I was given a simple one-word answer, "love". When asked to elaborate, she responded: "when people are kind to each other, take a moment to say hello, offer a smile, establishing peace in conflict".  And at a smaller, yet equally important scale, "making dinner for my wife, and having her really appreciate it, coming home when she randomly brings me a dozen roses, my family. Really, most things make me happy".  Following that light-hearted answer, a loaded question. "Do you believe in God?". Yes, she does. She believes there is a higher being, but she doesn't subscribe to organized religion, she believes that could be dangerous. "But I do believe that something is out there, not pulling the strings, but all of this had to come from somewhere. I pray, I just don't know what I'm praying to". 

        She also mentioned what she likes the most about herself: her capacity to love, and her physical strength. On the contrary, she was also asked what bothers her the most about herself. To which she responded, "my fixation on my body" she went on to mention that she thinks that is a big problem in women of all ages today, "I wish I didn't care". She giggled when I asked what her earliest childhood memory was, and replied that it was her mom brushing her hair and her hating every minute of it. After learning more about Ms. Brennan and diving deeper into her thoughts, feelings, and experiences, I've grown a deeper appreciation for her and all of my teachers, for they have struggles and lives and families just like us. I don't think we realize that all of the time.