This teacher has beautiful skin.
A recent Indiana high school graduate had an inspiring letter tattooed on his arm from a favorite teacher who helped him find his passion in life.
“I had no drive, no passion, nothing,” Chase McCoy said. “I didn’t expect I would be able to go to college or even graduate.”
McCoy captured the heartwarming moment showing off his new tattoo to Renee Sigmon, a culinary arts teacher at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne.
The Class of 2024 held a copy of a handwritten note she had given them across their chest, which read: “Don’t let anyone tarnish your shine! Always live your truth and keep fighting for what you believe in.”
“Shut up!” cried Sigmon, jumping up from his chair. “I was afraid you would do that.”
The two shared a tender embrace and Sigmon told his former student, “That was awesome.”
“More than a teacher,” McCoy captioned the video. The video has been viewed nearly 5 million times.
The two first met when Magoy was a junior in college and he applied to her culinary program.
In a subsequent video, the boy explained that he had “given up” to himself, saying that while he’d always had a love for cooking, he never thought it would blossom into a career.
Sigmon gives his students the tools and encouragement to grow and understand that it’s never too late to start anew.
“It was really hard, but she always pushed me to be the best person I can be,” McCoy said. He told 12News.
Sigmon, who McCoy calls her “school mom,” said her goal is to make students feel like family and open the door to special and exciting relationships.
“On the first day, I told the students, ‘You’re going to see me a few hours a day, every day for the entire school year. You’re going to be like brothers and sisters here,'” Sigmon said.
With a high school diploma and culinary certification in hand, McCoy is now chasing dreams he never thought possible.
He plans to attend college in the fall to study business and hopes to eventually open his own restaurant.
He may also be interested in replacing Sigmon when she retires.
