Suffolk, Va. - NewsChannel 3 received an email from a Suffolk seventh grader, John DeJesus , who said he struggled with reading and math, but his special education teacher really turned things around.
We went to Forest Glenn Middle School on our way to see a special teacher, Charlene Dunn.
“My dream this year was to be on the 7th grade football team, but only if my grades were good,” says DeJesus.
Thanks to her dedication and one-on-one time with John, he did have the grades to make the team.
“I just have to let her know how much I love and respect her. She helped my dream come true,” says DeJesus.
She was fighting back tears after hearing that.
“I'm blessed. Very blessed. I have great students,” says Dunn.
It's important to her they find success like John has.
This was also a very big deal for his mother.
“I watched him struggle for a long time, so praying and Mrs. Dunn and telling him to keep faith and keep pressing forward. It means the world to me,” says Johns mother.
But it was all his idea to nominate his teacher.
“He came to me and he said, ‘Mom, we need to write a story. And I'm like ‘what story?’ It's gotta be about Ms. Dunn and I said OK. People Taking Action. So we marched up to the computer,” she says.
NewsChannel 3 gave Dunn a People Taking Action award and a $100.00 Visa Giftcard from our community partners Southern Bank.
