Even if you didn't go in to chat with Ms. V, you always knew she was there. Just knowing her warm presence filled her office every day without fail made each day at school just a little bit better. I will always remember how she went to such lengths to make sure we all knew her door was open. Last year, when I was just a little too disruptive in class, she wanted to talk to me about it. She didn't act at all like I was in trouble. She instructed my study hall teacher to send me to her office for a flash drive. Yes, the whole thing was staged, so I didn't feel bad, and I wasn't in the spotlight. When I set foot in her office, she smiled and invited me to sit down. I never felt like I was in trouble. She made sure that every day, everyone knew they belonged at Westridge; everyone knew they were loved. There was never a bad day at Westridge because if it started bad, Ms. V was always there to make it end well. She will always hold a special place close to my heart.