A heartfelt farewell email from a calculus professor has gone viral on Reddit, after the teacher thanked the poster for being an “awesome student.”
Redditor rennyyy853 posted the email to the r/MadeMeSmile subreddit, along with a note expressing gratitude for how the educator had been a major inspiration in their pursuit of becoming a math professor one day. Since the post was published, it has received 29,000 upvotes.
The original poster (OP)’s screenshot of the professor’s email showed the message:
“Hi Renny, Thank YOU so much for being an awesome student! It has truly been a pleasure having you in class. I am so impressed by your work and your work ethic.
“I know with your dedication, grit, and genuine interest in the field you will go far! I hope I am lucky enough to work alongside you one day. Keep in touch and keep me posted!”
A young man uses his laptop. A post on Reddit has gone viral after revealing a heartfelt email one student received from their Calculus professor.
Inside Creative House/Getty Images
The professor’s encouraging words struck a chord not only with the student but with the broader community—many Redditors chimed in with stories about the lasting impact teachers have had on their lives.
One user, Sea-Studio-6943, offered this advice: “Stay in touch with them. I kept in touch with my high school geography teacher through email for years after I finished school, it was very wholesome.”
Unfair-Mortgage-527 wrote: “My maths teacher in high school really believed in me and I still think about her. I thought I’d peaked, had a mental block, thought I was stupid and she encouraged me, spent extra time working through maths problems, and made me laugh when I felt upset. She was bonkers, and I’m so grateful. I got top marks!”
‘Expanding Horizons’
This story of a professor going the extra mile to acknowledge a student’s potential aligns with what many educators and therapists believe about the lasting power of mentorship.
Therapist and educator Tracee Perryman spoke to Newsweek about how teachers are able to profoundly affect the lives of their students and why this post might have resonated with so many online.
“Teachers discover and shape our future leaders,” she said. “Teachers who offer extra encouragement when they identify a child with extraordinary talent, or when they encounter a child with potential who needs confidence.”
Through “expanding horizons, teaching skills and building relationships beyond the classroom,” Perryman said teachers have a unique influence on students’ self-efficacy and decision-making skills.
She said her own relationships with former teachers had extended far beyond the classroom, even to this day.
“I received a note from my high school principal, which touched my heart,” she said. “My high school English teacher provided stories about me in a local news article. My seventh-grade algebra teacher surprised me at work just a year ago. And one of my doctoral professors still mentors me to this day.”
For the OP, his professor’s email was more than just a goodbye—it was a reminder of the power of confidence and support. The student ended his post by concluding: “He’s been a big inspiration. I’m gonna miss him.”
Newsweek reached out to rennyyy853 for comment via Reddit.
