Rich Koenigsberg
East Brunswick High School, East Brunswick, New Jersey USA
By: Anonymous
You didn’t know it, but you saved my life.
High School was hard for me. I didn’t fit in. I didn’t hang out with friends. I endured harassment. My parents divorced. I was sad. I felt alone. And, in a high school with thousands of kids, it’s remarkable one can feel so alone.
I could have ended it all. I thought about it. I really did.
I looked forward to your class every day. I looked forward to you, Mr. Koenigsberg. You are why I kept coming to school. You made me laugh and think. Your sociology class made me see my life differently. I was part of this social construct. I was not alone, and the construct was something ever-changing which meant my life could, would, change. I learned about cultures, inequity and stereotypes. I learned how cultures shift, how norms change. I could see the light at the end of the high school tunnel because of you. I saw that life was so much more.
You couldn’t hear me, but you made me feel heard. Yes, Mr. Koenigsberg could not hear his students. He is deaf. During class, he read lips. He engaged us in conversation. He never missed a thing.
You became a friend and mentor to so many of your students. Everyone felt included by you.
I asked that this post be anonymous because no one really knew the depths I was in. I still haven’t talked about it. But, thank you, Mr. Koenigsberg. Thank you for saving my life and probably many others. I am successful and, yes, happy. I am engaged to be married. I enjoy my work. I owe much of this to you and your class. Things do change. I hope you are enjoying retirement.