Judson McGrath

Sending Valentine’s Day flowers to each of her female students English teacher Cheryl Anderson wanted each of them to know they were important. “It took me years and years to realize that I was special and I wanted all of my girls to know that they are special as well,” Anderson said. “Even if someone in the school didn’t send them one.”

The delivery of Valentine’s flowers can be one girl’s best day and another girl’s nightmare. Each year girls anxiously wait to see if someone thought about them and sent them a flower. Freshman English teacher Cheryl Anderson took it upon herself to make sure each of her female students didn’t have to go through the pain of not receiving a flower.

“I was a high school girl who when they delivered flowers or when they delivered gifts I didn’t get one and it made me think that I wasn’t special,” Anderson said. “It took me years and years to realize that I was special and I wanted all of my girls to know that they are special as well, even if someone in the school didn’t send them one.”

For younger girls it may be even more of a concern.

“There is definitely increased pressure for freshman girls as opposed to seniors,” Anderson said. “There was a competition in the room of who was going to get one and who didn’t get one. Somebody got theirs late and everyone was looking and you could see the angst of am I going to get one or am I not and the relief when they got one and it didn’t even matter that it was from a teacher. They were acknowledged and I think that’s important.”

Anderson’s students greatly appreciated the kind gesture.

“When I got a flower from Mrs. Anderson it made me feel really special,” freshman Abbie Omotayo said.  “I think there is pressure to get one, I don’t personally feel that pressure, but I think some girls would be really upset if they didn’t get a flower.”

Although the flowers were sent to younger girls, many seniors would have appreciated the gesture back when they were freshmen.

“Being a freshman you already feel like everyone doesn’t like you, so when I was a freshman and I saw everyone getting the flowers and I didn’t get one I felt like kinda bad,” senior Jenna Farrell said. “I would have appreciated a flower  no matter who it was from.”

“When I was a freshman I was weird and awkward and there was a lot of pressure to fit in with the crowd because we are at the bottom of the food chain,” senior Hannah Field said. “Getting a flower my freshman year, regardless of who it was from, would have meant a lot to me.”