I think teachers are some of the most important beings on the planet. Most of them do so much more than teach, you know? Some of them save lives, or at the very least put lives on the right track. In this final “Stories Behind the Story” installment, I want to tell you about one of the most important teachers in my life.
Mr. Micarelli was the chair of the science department at Everett High School (Everett, Massachusetts) when I was there in the mid-1980s. He taught biology and advanced biology and mentored student research projects—all of which I soaked up like impatiens in a neglected windowbox. It was in his classes that I became interested in studying the world around me, in being a scientist.
At the time I met Mic, though, I was also in need of a role model. I knew from books and movies that men and women could lead lives of purpose, passion and conviction. What I needed at sixteen, however, was proof that real people lived this way. Mr. Micarelli was that proof. I remember thoughtful and passionate discussions in Biology class—the details escape me—but the feelings of awe are fresh. Here was a person who thought long and hard about issues and formed an opinion. Here was a person who took his job seriously, who treated his peers and students with respect and concern. Here was a person of integrity and conviction. And what was more, this respectful and caring person of integrity and conviction thought I was a pretty okay kid. Me. Okay. I cannot even tell you how important that feeling was for me.
At that delicate time – the cusp of my independence and adulthood –Mr. Micarelli was a an inspiration. He meant a lot to me, and my memories of him guided me for a long time. In some ways, they still do. And although I had thought of him often during the twenty years after I graduated from Everett High School, I never thought I would find a way to thank him. That is, until it came time for me to write the dedication for my first book:
To Mr. James Micarelli, teacher of science and other truly important things
And then, on April 18, I had the great joy of thanking Mic in person. He and his lovely wife, Connie, came to Barnes & Noble in Worcester to help celebrate the release of my book—our book—and I was inspired all over again.
Thank you, Mic!