After 26 years in teaching, and 23 of those years at Cypress Creek High School, art teacher Sharon Day will retire and receive her award at the end of this year.

Day leaves behind a notable collection of achievements and contributions, of which contain numerous successful award-winning students, and many who went on to teach. Those awards include Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) and Culture Shapers, all highly sought-after accomplishments.

She also felt she impacted her students personally.

“I feel like I have changed the lives of a lot of young people,” Day said.

Her favorite part of her career was watching her students discover and create new things and being successful.

“That’s the biggest reward from teaching,” Day said.

However she noticed that over the years the job did come with its natural challenges from working with teens, but still considers it rewarding and says she would recomend to her students to become an art teacher.

When asked if she could go back and change one thing, Day responded that she would have gone straight to college out of high school, as many often recommend. As Day retires this year and essentially graduates Cypress Creek High School, one of her students noted her significance to the school.

“She is the true embodiment of a landmark teacher and will be missed,” junior Abbey  Mellencamp said.