Jayme Prenosil:
What makes a good teacher? Good teachers explain the material in a clear way. They spend their days teaching important topics and their nights grading papers. They are experts on their subjects and they work their hardest to pass their knowledge on. But what do you call an individual who is so much more than simply a good teacher? Mr. Winemiller, the man who introduced me to subjects from the difficult laws of physics to the infinite complexity of space, is so much more than a good teacher. To call him simply that, would be the world's largest understatement. He isn't one of those conventional teachers, whose only concerns consist of the students' grades and whether they pass tests or not. Don't get me wrong, he wants his students to succeed, but he cares more about actual learning, as opposed to grades. His main goal is to prepare his students for real life. His degree is in science, but his passion is children. He has infinite knowledge in the fields of science and engineering, and could easily land a position at some of the nation's most prestigious companies, but he chose to teach. That right there, reveals his enormous heart. To Mr. Winemiller, the most rewarding thing to him is when a student has curiosity and the hunger to learn. He will do anything to satisfy this hunger. He lives about 40 minutes one way from Lincoln but tat doesn't stop him from meeting students for a 7 am independent study. This independent study that I was involved in was completely optional for him. He in no way was obligated to agree to take on another class of a mere 4 students who were interested in astronautical engineering, but he happily accepted. Let me just say, he was not paid for this extra class that he had to get up at 4 in the morning for. He did it from the goodness of his heart and for the satisfaction of planting the seeds of determination and drive into our heads.

Along with arriving at school while one can still see the stars, Mr. Winemiller also stays far later than anyone else. Some teachers leave the building just as fast as the students do, right when the bell rings. But one can always find Mr. Winemiller in his room after school. It never fails. I have never once heard him tell a student no, when they wanted to learn. I know for a fact that he can always be found in his room after school because I am in there everyday with five other students. We are involved in an activity called Team America Rocketry Challenge. It just so happens to be the largest rocket competition in the world. It was Mr. Winemiller who introduced us to this once in a lifetime experience. He knows all of the little secrets and knows the best way to do things,but the thing he wants most is for us to get the true experience of actually engineering a rocket. I mean really engineering it! He actually wants us to fail while designing and constructing it. When we do he responds with, "well we still learned something. We no know two ways how not to do that!" Who would've thought that failing could be so rewarding! Our team has come a long way from designing our rocket on the rocket simulation computer program that we started out on back in November. We are now ready to do our qualifying launch that will determine if we make it to nationals in Washington D.C. If it wasn't for Mr. Winemiller's unfailing determination and selflessness, we would still be stuck in the first stages. He gives up his time and energy that should be spent at home or building parts for his company NERDS INC., to see that his students reach for their goals and see their dreams come true. It is because of him alone, that I discovered my passion in life. He opened my eyes and my heart to the astonishing world of space travel and astronomy. He showed me that things that I only imagined could happen in science fiction books can and are being done because small groups of dedicated people believe they can.

So what do you call someone who is so much more that a good teacher? Mr. Winemiller is my inspiration. He is the one who taught me that I can do anything, no matter how unattainable it may seem, as long as I put my whole heart into it and give it all my effort. He taught me to shoot for the stars and no matter how big the journey is, "every journey begins with a first step." Mr. Winemiller is my teammate, my hero and one of my best friends.