As a trans woman in an increasingly anti-trans society, it is easy to feel hopeless—hairs raised on your prickly skin on every street you walk down—terrified that someone is going to jump out of the bushes and do the unspeakable to you. Some days, people say things to me with the sole purpose of upsetting me; some days, people don’t understand what they’ve said; and some days, people spit on me and call me slurs.

Even with their warm, slimy spit lingering under my eye, dripping down my neck, in my darkest moments, the light never dimmed intensely enough to blind me, because throughout the long, dark tunnel of my transition, my art teacher, Ms. Johanna Lange, carried a bright lantern that illuminated my otherwise precarious path.

When I first arrived at Birdwood High School, my grades ranged from D- to C+, and I was unable to speak on my own behalf due to my autism and ADHD. Ms. Lange sat me down and helped me every day. It was in her class that I achieved my first A grade, and as the year progressed, I received many more grades in the A band. When I needed help, Ms. Lange was a strong advocate for my rights and well-being when I was effectively voiceless.

Ms. Lange educated me on social issues I was unaware of and guided me through the trauma of my younger brother being taken away. Above all, when I felt alone in my identity, she supported me and made me feel like I had a right to be alive. She would speak up for me when someone acted upon bigotry towards me, and comforted my sorrows when I faced discrimination and dehumanisation. “Don’t let them dim your flame, because you have so much potential” she told me after I’d expressed my lowered self esteem after being the victim of a hate crime.

Over time, thanks to her support, I learned to advocate for my own rights and for the first time ever, became socially independent. With the knowledge and positive affirmation that she armed me with, I was able to achieve high enough grades that I can one day attend university and become a teacher myself. One day, I will help lead and support people like me, in the same way she helped me.