I have always been an artistic person and viewed writing as another way to express myself artistically. Many students my age hated writing, but I never considered it a burden. I carried this passion throughout high school and continue to enjoy it in college. My junior and senior English teacher, Ms. McGhee, had the greatest impact on my writing skills. She was always a difficult evaluator and always made sure to elaborate on our mistakes. It’s because of her that I became such a strong writer. She and Anne Lamott have similar personalities. Lamott says, "It's not like you don't have a choice, because you do: You can either type on a keyboard or you can kill yourself." » Mrs. McGhee hated excuses. She expected her students to complete the tasks assigned to them, but, of course, high school students always complained and would probably rather kill themselves than write an assignment. She constantly motivated her students to work hard and complete their work to the best of their abilities. I can't thank her enough for the impact she had on my studies.