WATCH: Teacher tearfully reunites with ‘superhero’ educator who taught him 24 years ago

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. — Teachers can leave a positive impact on their students that lasts a lifetime.

That is something Ricky Latimore Jr. knows after a chance encounter with a teacher that changed his life 24 years ago.

Latimore will begin his first year working at an elementary school when Newton County Schools begin on Monday.

Last week, he attended a workshop for new teachers. When the instructor entered the room, Latimore had an immediate flashback to his own elementary school days.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

That’s because the instructor, Andrea Dowdy, was his fifth-trade teacher

“You changed my life! You loved me when I was at my lowest! I am Ricky Latimore!” he told her.

Latimore said she recognized him immediately and they had a tearful reunion.

“She gently held my face, just as she had done when I was a child in her class. She tearfully repeated my name, ‘Ricky, Ricky, my sweet Ricky!’ She never forgot me, and I never forgot her,” he told Channel 2.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Delta apologizes, promises 10,000 SkyMiles to customers impacted by outages
• Metro Atlanta nonprofit can’t wait for Stuff the Bus
• Metro Atlanta church providing free school uniforms for families in need

Latimore grew up in Jasper County and attended Washington Park Elementary School.

He said he struggled in school because his family lived in poverty and the only clothes he had came from a thrift store. But he said Dowdy always supported him and never looked down on him.

“In those dark times, teachers like Ms. Dowdy were superheroes who restored hope,” he said. “It was teachers like her that helped me to understand that I could walk with my head held high.”

Latimore said Dowdy recently found a photo of their fifth grade class and thought about him and his classmates recently. They reminisced on stories from 24 years ago.

It was a reunion that Latimore will carry with him when school starts on Monday.

“Standing before her as a 34-year-old man, I felt fortified by the profound influence this angel of a teacher had on me all those years ago.”

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS

New chef for Marietta school district serving up delicious dishes for upcoming school year

©2024 Cox Media Group