I am a retired senior citizen who searched for his 4th-grade teacher to say thank you for many years. I found your article (“At 100, still embracing the challenge,” Dec 21, 2023, issue), and there she was, Mrs. Miriam Krinick, at 100 years old — and still involved with your organization.

Mrs. Krinick was my 4th-grade teacher at PS 108 in Brooklyn. She was my first crush and I would have done anything for her. Without sharing specifics, I had a rough childhood and she was everything I lacked at home. She also set the foundation for my future by instilling in me one of my greatest passions: a love of reading.

My neighborhood was gang-infested, and I dropped out of Stuyvesant HS to hang out with my gang. Funny thing, when everyone was hanging out getting high, I was reading. When I joined the Marines at age 17, I kept reading. I got my GED in the Marine Corps and it was so simple — all I had to do was read. And, my reading skills led to me being an instructor in the Marines. Fast forward to now — I am a retired lawyer. I was a partner in the largest law firm in the world and chief counsel to one of the four largest sports unions. I was the guest of honor in a royal palace in Serbia and lived a great adventure throughout my career. Much of it because of a teacher who showed caring (yes, real caring) and instilled in me a love of reading.

So, finally, thank you for an amazing adventure. It never would have happened without you.

Thank you for letting me finally say thank you.

Robert Lanza, Manhattan