LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Regis Inge was nominated anonymously. 

"There are not enough words in the universe to express how grateful I am to have met Mr. Inge. I first met him in sixth grade, feeling anxious about my new school and completely lost - figuratively and literally. I remember going into his classroom for the first time. When I finally sat down, I felt an instant wave of calm as he introduced himself.  He joked around with the class for the first few minutes. Whatever it was, it made me feel safe," said the nominator.

"He was my English, history, and leadership teacher that year. I remember having a love/hate relationship with my leadership class. At the beginning of the year, Mr. Inge had assigned groups I wasn't fond of. Even though Mr. Inge planned hundreds of volunteer services for the students, making it difficult to spend more than a few hours with our groups, I still constantly complained and begged him to switch me, but he never did. At the time, I didn't understand why Mr. Inge wouldn't just change my group. I didn't understand why he made me work with people I didn't get along with. I understand now, and I'm forever grateful for it. If it weren't for that experience, I wouldn't be as good at working with others as I am today. I wouldn't be the person I am today without him," said the nominator.

"Mr. Inge may not know this now, but he truly changed my life. Before entering middle school, l was an average student with no real interest in education. But when I met him, that changed. Thanks to his teaching, I became a straight-A student. No matter how difficult an assignment was, he pushed me to be my best while allowing me to express my frustrations. Before his class, I was a horrible writer; I couldn't tell a story to save my life. When he assigned my first narrative project, he guided me through it and helped me create a story that, to this day, I am still proud of. Even when I was stubborn or frustrating, he worked with me and helped me grow, not just in academics, but in life," said the nominator.

"I could go on and on about how amazing Mr. Inge is, not only as a teacher but as a person. To me, Mr. Inge is like a father. He has been with me through my tough moments, and even though I worked hard to become who I am today, he has been- and continues to be a major part of my life. Mr. Inge did and continues to do his job perfectly. Mr. Inge teaches the students lessons they will never forget. He is my inspiration and the one who changed my life," said the nominator.