It's what any kind human being would do. Maddy Zaminski is a senior at Center Moriches High School on Long Island. Zaminski was dealing with some heartbreaking loss: Two of her best friends died in the span of week.
Zaminski was sobbing at school, so she turned to her beloved art teacher Janice Graf.
"She needed someone to talk to. She was very distraught. I felt that she was in crisis," Graf said.
So with the permission of Zaminski's parents, Graf took her to a nearby 7-Eleven and bought her a cup of hot chocolate to cheer the crying student up.
"My whole life, as well as other students', we've been told to trust your teachers and go to them when you need help and that's exactly what I did," Zaminski said.
Their heart-to-heart worked and Zaminski was able to finish the difficult day at school. When school officials discovered what Graf did they banned her from her classroom. Apparently, even though Graf had permission, she violated the school's policy of taking students off school grounds.
"I'm fine with it. She got my daughter back to school and she took care of my daughter," said Joanne Zaminski, Maddy's mother.
"I just want to be back with the kids, I want to be back in the classroom," Graf said.
Now Graf is begging the school to let her back in and parents and teachers are rallying around her.
Please SHARE if you believe Graf did the right thing to help a student in need.
Image via Flickr Creative Commons / Ben Dalton
