- I sit there and mark my graduation announcement book with all the students that have come through my door and to hear their, "I did it!"

is more than I could ever ask for.

(gentle music begins) My name is Amy Goodrich, I teach at Riverton high school and I teach credit recovery in a gap classroom.

I help students get back on track for graduation.

I help them reach their goals and their potential.

- I don't think there's another teacher in this building that cares more than Amy.

I'll be having a bad day or I'll just be down about something and she's always like, "It's gonna be a great day, we can do this.

We just have to make the difference in one student's life."

- For something simple and cliche, I feel like I was born for this and it's been fun over the years to just watch it evolve and I would say I'm living my dream job right now.

- You know, at Riverton, we've gone over things through the years and we've realized that there's a lot of students that just kind of, the traditional schedule and how schools run, it doesn't work for them, and I mean, we're talking some students that are 13 credits or more short for graduation.

- I ask them, what is your goal?

Where do you see yourself in May or June when it's graduation time?

And often they just don't know.

They've kind of lost that hope, oh, I'm too far behind, I can't catch up.

- And then somehow, she just is able to work with these kids, develop this relationship.

It's just kind of infectious with her and the students slowly start to recover their credits and she's able in a year or two to get those students back on track.

- I think it's just, they know I'm going to call 'em back.

They know I'm going to ask the hard questions.

They get to expect that I might find out well, what's going on with work?

Did you get enough sleep?

Did you get something to eat?

And I think that that's what I love very most about this job is just jumping in the trenches with them.

- And so when you walk in, one of the first things you'll see on her wall is just this bulletin board full of graduation announcements and those would not be there for those students or those families without Amy.

- It's fun to see students walk through my classroom door and stand and look at those for a while and I always wonder, what's going on in your head?

You know, are they asking those hard questions?

Will I get there?

Will I be able to make it?

Will my picture be on this wall?

And often I say, I wanna see your picture up there by June.

- Students start to see that they can be successful and then when they actually can graduate, you can't imagine the joy on their faces and how it changes their lives in the future.

- Students will run through the door with their cap and gown because they've picked it up and they'll say, "Look what I did, I've got it.

I picked up my cap and gown today."

They're just elated and that's worth it.

That keeps me going all year.

- She's just spectacular.

I mean, I know how many student's lives she's changed already.

I think last year alone, there were a hundred students that wouldn't have graduated if not for her.

Riverton high is a better place because Amy is here.

- The work is beyond rewarding.

It's seeing kids, that light bulb go on, is payment enough.

- Because if every teacher were like Amy, the world would just be a different place.

- So it's a moment that I'll remember forever.

It's a big deal.