Being inducted into the “Howell of Fame” is no easy feat. This year, of the many nominations, only 10 people were chosen. Nominees can include volunteers, community partners and FHSD employees. One of the 10 people inducted this year was English teacher Mike Storm.
“It seems fair to feel a plethora of emotions and a few have stood out to me since [getting inducted into the Howell of Fame],” Storm said. “I have a strong sense of gratitude toward so many sources of support. I am thankful for the talents and opportunities granted to me by my creator.”
Storm has been teaching for 40 years in total and many of those have been at Francis Howell. Being in the teaching profession for so long leads to many memories being created.
“It’s been so many years, so there are a number of visions that flash through my mind. I remember the resilience of my 2010’s boys’ basketball squad. We’ve had a lot of fun playing music in between classes on Wednesdays, and then there were those meditation sessions in the ELA department before parent-teacher conferences. Way too many great memories to record today,” Storm said.
Along with those memories, Storm’s years of teaching helped him develop the qualities of a true “Howell of Fame” inductee.
“We talk about this in my Sports Lit class when we do our Hall of Fame project, and my students always agree that Hall of Fame athletes should model integrity, consistency, leadership, influence and character among other things,” Storm said. “If a person’s able to check those boxes across a career, that’s some strong work. I hope people might see those qualities in my day-to-day life when viewing my career from 50,000 feet.”
Storm hopes that him being inducted into the “Howell of Fame” leaves a lasting impact on the people he loves.
“I hope [being inducted into the ‘Howell of Fame’] is a story my daughter and her husband might tell their children someday,” Storm said.
Storm offers some advice to younger teachers who want to leave a lasting impression on their students.
“I say this to my students regularly: Let your light shine. When you let your light shine, the one that glows so completely different from anyone else’s, you unconsciously give permission to those around you to do the same,” Storm said. “Teachers, shine your light and watch the young people do the same by your example.”
