BY SUSAN DICKERSON
SALISBURY POST

We all have people who have influenced our lives, and for most of us, teachers are at the top of that list.

Teachers whom we never forget and who have a lasting impact on us and our futures.

Those are the people Time Warner Cable honored Tuesday night as part of the annual Star Teacher Awards. The banquet was at the Holiday Inn.

Each year, Time Warner honors 10 teachers who have impacted students’ lives. And this year, those teachers are: Elaine Ervin, West High; Adrienne James, former West Rowan High teacher; Steve Daniel, West High; Jon Kirk, China Grove Middle; Carl Sloop III, East High; Michelle Rhinehardt-Cline, Salisbury High; Roger Withers, Salisbury High; Betty Albrite; James Cook, South High; and Ann Ennis, South High.

Time Warner went to the Rowan-Salisbury Schools to find students recognized for their academic achievements.

The students chosen to recognize their teachers are: Ashley Mills, North High; Drew Caldwell, North High; Caroline Thomas, West High; Brian Tajlili, West High; Dionne Tunstall, West High; Bridget Cox, East High; Justin Campbell, East High; Robin Jacobs, Salisbury High, Norman Clark III, Salisbury High; Garrett Raper, South High; and Ann Langford, South High.

Here are some of the excerpts students wrote about their teachers.

- ‘‘You refused to accept a half-hearted effort from any of us,’’ wrote Ann Langford about her speech and debate teacher Ann Ennis. ‘‘In your class, I found myself communicating ... in a variety of ways. Even though I was often nervous and apprehensive, you encouraged me, and because of that encouragement, I always succeeded. ... I wanted you to be happy with me, and I never wanted to let you down.’’

- Garrett Raper wrote about his chemistry teacher James Cook: ‘‘You have shown me how to weigh my options and decide which choice is the best for me.’’ And with intentions to attend N.C. State in the fall, Raper wrote, ‘‘You have prepared me for this endeavor by constantly pushing me to look deeper into the world around me. ... I no longer accept that something does work. I need to know why, and I find myself pondering how it could be made better or more efficient. You also have taught me that once a person becomes successful, their responsibilities do not end, they become different. Their new responsibility becomes giving back to the community.’’

- As Salisbury High’s Student Government Association’s president, Norman Clark got to know Roger Withers, advisor. ‘‘This man stands for and epitomizes all that I respect in this world and all that anyone could ever hope to be,’’ Clark wrote. ‘‘Whatever he undertakes, whether it be student government or counseling, he undertakes with all his heart. One gets the feeling that he really loves his job and that he truly enjoys helping others.’’

- Caroline Thomas got to know pre-calculus teacher Elaine Ervin in 1997. Thomas wrote of Ervin, ‘‘It is her genuine interest in the lives of her students that sets Mrs. Ervin apart form other exceptional teachers. Mrs. Ervin takes the time to develop a personal relationship with her students, and we all feel connected with her. ... Mrs. Ervin is an excellent math teacher, but even after I have forgotten how to use the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, I will still remember the compassion that this remarkable woman has devoted to her students.’’

- As a Latin teacher, Steve Daniel affected the life of Brian Tajlili. In making what could be a boring topic fun, Daniel taught Tajlili more. ‘‘I have been waiting for this opportunity to thank Mr. Daniel for a long time. He is a respected member of the faculty, and is a popular teacher among all of his students. I will never forget the time he walked into class with a sock stuck to the sleeve of his sweater vest or the many times he has entertained the class with songs on his guitar designed to help students conjugate verbs or decline nouns. ... If Latin is a dead language, as some may unfairly call it, then it has posthumously affected my life in a way I would have never expected because of Mr. Daniel’s extraordinary job teaching it.’’

Time Warner will air the banquet four times on channel 12 at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, April 15 and April 20.