Scranton Reporter

Lackawanna College issued the following announcement on Aug. 14.

Denise Larson, Dean of Student Success and Retention at Lackawanna College received a letter from a student wishing to remain anonymous thanking faculty members April Piazza, Michelle Mohyla and Lynn DeSanto for helping her reach her dreams and giving her support during difficult times. Letters and testimonies like this show that Lackawanna College is so much more than an education, we are a family of Falcons.  Our faculty and staff create a community that meets students where they are in life and support them in their educational and personal journeys. Relationships that students forge with College faculty, staff and their peers are important to their success in college and beyond.

Dear Dean Larson,

I am writing this letter in regards to three extraordinary, phenomenally phenomenal women who just so happened to also be professors at Lackawanna. This letter is to show appreciation for the guidance and support I received which not only kept me motivated but inspired me to do achieve my best. I have wanted to write this letter for a long time. However, I didn’t want it to be a conflict of interest as I was still taking courses with these professors.  I am now happy to say that I only have one class left, though it, unfortunately, will not be one with any of these three wonderful professors.

The three professors I am speaking of are Professor April Piazza, Michelle Mohyla, and Lynn DeSanto. I have been a student in multiple classes with each of these professors, and they are the leading force of the science department of Lackawanna, and of the school in general.

Professor Piazza has exemplary patience with her students. She is always willing to explain and at times reexplain course work if one is falling short of understanding the curriculum. She creates an environment where students feel more than comfortable reaching out for assistance.  Her structured classes yet nonchalant attitude made the classes feel less intimidating and more feasible.

Professor DeSanto is the mother figure to many students. Though some may see her strict nature as daunting, for most of us we saw it as an encouragement to push ourselves beyond the limitations even we thought we couldn’t surpass. She is strict only because she is encouraging us to stay resilient and push through our own feelings of inadequacy because she believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. After losing my own mother over 10 years ago professor DeSanto has been a force to which I owe much of my success here at Lackawanna to. She has been my advisor, my professor, at times a friend giving me guidance, and at times a supportive parental figure.

Professor Mohyla is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. Her willingness to contribute to the individual success of each student is something that will forever be engraved in my driving force to succeed. She has been absolutely amazing! Professor Mohyla enjoys teaching and it absolutely shows.  She has personally helped my development and growth as a student and as a person. To be amongst professor Mohyla, will inspire you to want to live a life of selflessness. There isn’t anything I haven’t seen her do to go above and beyond in order to help one of her students.

I am truly thankful and grateful for having had the opportunity of taking classes with all three of these magnificent women. I would not have been where I am right now without their guidance and support. As a caregiver to my siblings, while battling some serious health issues there were times where I was nervous and doubtful. However, these professors wouldn’t allow me to let myself or them down, they provided support all while holding me accountable and encouraging me to always finish strong.

Though I wish to remain anonymous I hope that perhaps this letter can be shared with these professors. For if they ever struggled with some students, or even questioned whether they made a difference in the lives of their students, please let them know they will forever be a part of who I am. They have truly made a difference in my life, and though a letter isn’t truly sufficient to express my immense profound gratitude, I hope it serves to show just how much they have meant to me!

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

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Original source can be found here.