I had the wonderful priviledge of having Mr. Proffit as my AP US Government teacher last semester. His extensive knowledge about the United States government as well as the best practices and strategies for the AP exam make him an impressive teacher, but his attention to and understanding for his students has made him a great mentor. When I first began studying in Mr. Proffit's class, I have to admit I was a little daunted by the complex assignments and lengthy historical documents we would be covering. But I quickly learned that he wouldn't be giving us such formidable tasks without the plethora of tools they would require. He taught me how to read through old documents in a way I'd never considered before and this knowledge greatly helped me to prepare for the AP exam. He also supplied me with many resources which supported the strong foundation of information I was already recieving in class. Most importantly, he was always ready to answer any question anyone had and would re-explain a topic as much as was necessary for me to understand it better. If I was ever struggling with a task on an assignment, I knew I could ask him for clarification and advice and that he would whole-heartedly supply it. He was also very understanding about any personal issues a student could have that might get in the way of classwork. On the few times that I was sick and had to miss school, he would always give me an extended due date, as well as to anyone else who had to miss a day. He was considerate of major events going on with the student body, and would schedule assignments and lessons in accordance with those too. For example, when the band kids were going to have a trip one day that he had planned a key lesson for, he moved the lesson to another day so that those students could be present for it as well. But what affected me the most was how much attention he paid to us as his students. If ever there was a day that I walked in looking down, he would ask me how I was doing and try to cheer me up. Whenever I mentioned a particular interest of mine, he would bring it up again later because he knew that I liked it. Despite having so many classes and so many students, he still took the time to make me feel appreciated and special when I was going through a bit of a tough time in my life. And even now that I am no longer in his class, he still waves hello to me in the hallway and remembers my name along with countless other students. Mr. Proffit has been an excellent teacher in what and the way he has taught me, but just as much he has been a significant role-model for me and many others through his caring and kindness. I believe him to be truly deserving of this award and I highly recommend him.