Professor Surprised by Students After She Confesses to Spending Christmas Alone
No one should be alone during the holidays. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all reach out to someone in need of a family for Christmas, invite them over for a little turkey, maybe?
One class of high school students decided to “adopt” their professor this year after they heard she usually spends the holiday alone.
Professor Wharton is a dedicated Texas educator who casually shared with her Composition 1 class she doesn’t have anyone to share Christmas with.
“Both of my parents have passed away. And my sister, my only sibling, passed away,” Wharton told BuzzFeed News. “I don’t have immediate family. I do have some cousins, but we aren’t real close.”
The teacher didn’t think much of her passing comment and she didn’t expect her students to think much of it either.
But one of her students, 16-year-old Belinda Ramirez, couldn’t let it go. Rather than let her teacher spend the holidays alone, Ramirez jumped into action.
With the help of her classmates, Ramirez planned a little Christmas gathering of sorts on the final day of the semester and exams.
“So we all got together to surprise our professor who usually spends Christmas alone,” Ramirez wrote on Twitter. “It really is the little things.”
Watch as this sweet professor is given the Christmas surprise of the year! She certainly seems like a wonderful lady!
so we all got together to surprise our professor who usually spends christmas alone. it really is the little things. ❤️? pic.twitter.com/Iqouv8loc5
— nina (@belindaramirezz) December 13, 2018
The video has gone viral, with over 100K retweets in just under a week since it was shared. Since then, others have reportedly wanted to shower love and gifts on Professor Wharton.
This is where this story gets even better. “As much as Professor Wharton would love to receive gifts and letters, she would rather the generosity go to a bigger cause,” Ramirez tweeted.
— nina (@belindaramirezz) December 13, 2018
That good cause happens to be making donations to the American Cancer Society or simply “reach out to others who are alone,” Wharton told BuzzFeed. “That can have an impact in our world.”
It seems she’s already had quite an impact as well. If you’d like to make Wharton’s wish come true, please visit the American Cancer Society’s donation page.
Or there’s always the latter option — reach out this season. Buy an extra cup of coffee or invite your neighbor for dessert. To echo what Ramirez said, “It really is the little things.”
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