NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When a beloved teacher retires, you want to make sure they get all the appreciation they deserve. What we just got to witness was something especially beautiful to see.
When you stop by Justine McMurray's classroom, before you see her face, you will see another face. Wonder Woman.
"My friend is Wonder Woman!" she laughed, pointing to the Wonder Woman posters and action figures around her room. "Wish I had her Lasso of Truth as a teacher!"
At Meigs Middle Magnet School, she's also the track and field and cross country coach, having her athletes run a loop next to the school.
"They like to go out and talk with their little friends and not actually work their heart muscles," Ms. McMurray laughed.
Today, that bravery of Wonder Woman is just more relatable for Ms. MacMurray than ever before.
"I finished up my radiation for now, but I'm on chemo, and I have ten more months of chemotherapy before I'm done with the chemo," she explained.
After experiencing headaches for a while, it was October when something happened to Ms. McMurray in her classroom.
"I ended up having a seizure," she remembered. "At first, they were thinking it was a stroke or something like that. They did an MRI and found there was a tumor and found out it was cancerous."
After more than 30 years as a teacher, Ms. McMurray is now retiring. For someone like her, it's no wonder Meigs Middle Magnet would want to give her a big celebration.
Past students are back, lined up around the school cafeteria.
"Just a really encouraging person!" said one former student.
Staff honor her heart and her eye for talent.
"At recess, she'd say, 'see that girl there. She needs to be on my track team. I need to talk to her,'" explained Meigs staff member Lacey Culp. "She's always looking for track kids."
"In seventh grade, when I dyed my hair purple, it was because of you," laughed one student.
Many in the crowd wore shirts with the same design.
"These are our Wonder Woman shirts that we made for her!" Lacey said. "She truly is our very own Wonder Woman."
"I have told my neurologist, my oncologist, and my radiologist, I'm going to make them famous at Vanderbilt cause I'm going to kick this," Ms. McMurray said.
Ms. McMurray lead everyone on a walk around the loop one more time.
"You don't realize sometimes in teaching how much of an impact you make," she said.
"I've always tried to get that I've done something that was purposeful and worthwhile. It felt good today cause it felt like, wow, I did make some kind of impact."
I think we can all remember our favorite teachers. In so many ways they leave an imprint on our lives. Get your tissue ready for Forrest Sanders' story on Ms. McMurray. She has poured so much into her students, and they are returning the love when it's needed most.
-Carrie Sharp
