LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Anne Marsh was nominated by a student.  

"My high school journey started differently than most. When I came to Neenah High School, there was a lot of adversity. I was going to a new school district and playing for a new hockey team, which involved constant traveling. Therefore, my main priorities throughout high school were school and hockey," said the student.

"It was the beginning of my sophomore year when I finally received my driver's license. This meant no more getting dropped off on time every single day by my mother or sister. As excited as I was to drive myself, I was blindsided by my effectiveness of waking up on time. This added a whole other priority for me," said the student. "It may sound simple, you know, just to wake up on time, but practices and workouts every night, constant homework, and days missed for tournaments led to a lot of stress and a lack of motivation in the mornings. This resulted in many check-ins in the attendance office," said the student.

"This is where I met a wonderful woman with a smile that made my day. Mrs. Marsh; understood my situation and was always there to support me. Some of my favorite parts of the day consisted of checking into the attendance office to see how things were going. We discussed last weekend's tournament and next year's plans for me. She never ignored me or pretended to listen; she was always so interested and paid full attention to what I had to say, which meant the world to me," said the student.

"While some mornings I showed up late, she always found a way to make me smile even while handing me the tardy pass reminding me to get my butt up earlier. As much as we wanted to talk about life and catch up, she and I both knew it was important to get to my classes on time," said the student.

"Every day was a good day when you got to talk to her, but unfortunately, those days started to come to an end. I transferred to Arrowhead High School for my Junior year, as she and I had previously discussed. She was in full support, with only a little sarcasm to maybe convince me to stay, but she motivated me to do what I wanted and take up the opportunity," said the student.

"One of the most memorable moments was mid-way through my Junior year; I invited my friends from Arrowhead up to Neenah, where we caught Neenah's final football game in the state. We arrived at the game and made our way in, and everyone's attention was on the field. It took me only three steps inside the stadium to hear her calling my name. There she stood, arms wide open, excited to see me. As we hugged, she made me feel right back at home and not some imposter student from Arrowhead. It felt like I had been there the entire year," said the student.

"Thank you, Mrs. Marsh, for the wonderful conversations, advice, and positive attitude, which allowed me to have a good day, even when the mornings weren't going so great. Among the many great teachers throughout the halls of Neenah, you were always the one who made it easy to crack a smile, even while handing me a tardy pass that I would later hear about from my mother," said the student.