Most days, Twitter is a digital hellscape. But the social media platform isn’t all bad. Sometimes it helps reunite old friends, and in extremely wholesome cases, it reunites people with their former teachers.
Student/teacher reunions are one of the most delightful interactions you can find on Twitter. And luckily for us, the summer of 2020 has brought together several noteworthy teachers and students.
The most recent reunion, which took place on Wednesday night, was between actor Kerry Washington and her eighth grade teacher, Tiffany Bluemle.
Washington hosted the third night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Wednesday. During her remarks, Washington gave a shoutout to her eighth grade teacher for teaching her about the Constitution.
“When I was in seventh or eighth grade, we memorized the preamble of the Constitution,” Washington said. “And I’ve never forgotten it. The first 15 words of our Constitution are, ‘We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union.’ We say ‘more perfect’ because our union is not without flaws.”
Bluemle, Washinton’s former teacher, tweeted that she “nearly fell off the couch” when she heard the actor mention the eighth grade Constitutional Law class that she taught.
“I was her teacher. And so proud of her professional accomplishments and political advocacy,” Bluemle wrote.
It wasn’t long before Washington saw Bluemle’s kind words, and tweeted her own response: “OMG!!!! Hi Thank you for watching!!!!! And thank you for inspiring me and sooo many other students!!!”
Washington’s heartfelt Twitter reunion with her eighth grade teacher came just days after Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez caught up with one of her former educators on the platform.
Ocasio-Cortez delivered a DNC speech on Tuesday, but on August 12, after learning that she’d have only 60 seconds to deliver her remarks, she tweeted a poem by Dr. Benjamin E. Mays — one that U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings recited in his first speech to Congress.
“I only have a minute.
Sixty seconds in it.
Forced upon me, I did not choose it,
But I know that I must use it.
Give account if I abuse it.
Suffer, if I lose it.Only a tiny little minute,
But eternity is in it.”– Dr. Benjamin E. Mays
(and recited by Elijah Cummings) 💜 https://t.co/ul9CE7NriV— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 12, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez’s second grade teacher, Ms. Jacobs, replied to the tweet with supportive words, and the two shared and emotional moment.
“You’ve got this. Remember all those poems we recited together in 2nd grade? It was prep for this moment. You’ve got this,” Jacobs wrote.
Ocasio-Cortez replied by saying, “Ms. Jacobs! Is that you?! Yes, I do remember the poems we recited in second grade! You prepared me perfectly for this moment. Thank you for teaching me, encouraging my growth, and believing in me as a child.”
Ms. Jacobs! Is that you?! 😭
Yes, I do remember the poems we recited in second grade! You prepared me perfectly for this moment.
Thank you for teaching me, encouraging my growth, and believing in me as a child 💜
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 12, 2020
Ms. Jacobs replied to her former student’s tweet once more, and said, “You are my superhero!” She also said she still has the page Ocasio-Cortez wrote in her end-of-year teacher book, which we’re going to need to see ASAP.
Yes, yes!!!
It’s me!
I’m here.
I’ve been here. (Trying to reach you for the past 2 years…)
You are my superhero!
I want to give you a hug when hugs are safe again.
Always always here for you.
xoxoxoxoxo
PS Sometime I can share the page you wrote in my end-of-year teacher book.— mjacobs (@mjacobs324) August 12, 2020
Other Twitter users who have had especially influential teachers in their lives are able to appreciate reunions like these on a deeper level. And some just found it extremely touching to witness such unexpected reunions.
For those who think that students are the only ones who benefit and learn from relationships with their teachers, just know, teachers cherish the bonds made, too. Just look at how much reconnecting meant to Ocasio-Cortez’s second grade teacher.