WHITEHOUSE, Texas — We all had that one favorite teacher growing up who made a remarkable impact on our lives.
Madeylnn Woodruff, an eighth grader at Whitehouse Junior High, has a few, but her top is her speech pathologist teacher Stacy LaBeff.
LaBeff met Woodruff when she was in the third grade, a time when Woodruff struggled with her speech impairment.
"I used to not do a lot of things like raise my hand or do projects in class because I knew I would stutter eventually," Woodruff said. "A lot of the kids would judge and make smart remarks and stuff like that."
Over time, LaBeff helped Woodruff find the confidence to use her voice and help her see it as a unique charter trait rather than a character flaw.
"She went through the stages of I don't want to talk or talk about my stuttering and getting through those hard times was a focus," LaBeff said. "Now it's the opposite, she's just realizing that stuttering is something she does, but it's not who she is."
Woodruff would later prove her confidence when she was assigned to give a speech in front of her classmates on a topic she was passionate about.
Woodruff decided to talk about her speech impairment in a video filmed by LaBeff.
"She came to me before her speech and said I want to talk about stuttering and I was like, 'Oh, that's so incredible," LaBeff said. "She had a rough draft, I read it and there was nothing for me to change on there."
Toward the end of Woodruff's speech, she showed her appreciation for LaBeff, mentioning she was the person who helped her overcome a challenge and fear Woodruff thought she would never overcome.
"I really did feel confident just talking about my life," Woodruff said. "Mrs. LaBeff is the sweetest, nicest and kindest person I've ever met and I would not be the same without her."