Teachers are unsung heroes, no doubt about it. They are tasked with protecting our kids, molding young minds, and helping parents turn out good human beings. It's a lot of responsibility, and they don't often receive the thanks and respect they deserve. But one Arkansas student thinks her teacher is a superhero and wants the whole world to know.
Caroline Carlson is an 8-year-old second-grade student at R.E. Baker Elementary in Bentonville, Arkansas, and when she found out that her school would celebrate "Superhero Day" during spirit week, there was no doubt in her mind who she wanted to be that day: her teacher, Jaime Deigh.
Caroline's mom, Cortney Carlson, did a bit of reconnaissance work to help her daughter pull off a huge surprise, according to Fox News Digital. And, well, we might just have a few tears in our eyes.
Spirit week is a time for kids and teachers to have a little fun.
This year's theme was "Super," and the school community celebrated with everything from "Super Comfy Day" to "Super Silly Day," but it was Friday during "Superhero Day" that Caroline had her moment to shine.
"All week Caroline was saying, 'I want to be like Miss Deigh. She is a superhero,'" Caroline's mom, Cortney Carlson, told Fox News Digital.
So Cortney Carlson reached out to Deigh to see what she planned to wear on Friday. At first, Deigh didn't quite understand what the sweet little girl planned to do.
For Caroline, this was more than just matching outfits.
When Carlson asked Deigh what she was wearing on Friday, she assumed Caroline wanted to wear something similar. It wasn't until Cortney Carlson explained that Caroline wanted to be her that it sunk in.
Deigh, who has taught at the school for eight years, told Fox News Digital she was "blown away" and thought it was pretty special. "You just never know the impact that you have on someone everyday just through daily interaction," she shared.
Cortney Carlson and Deigh made sure that the match was perfect.
On Friday, Caroline and Deigh were twins. They both wore an R.E. Baker Elementary T-shirt, denim jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes. Caroline also insisted that her mom curl her hair to match perfectly, which Deigh said, "melted my heart."
Deigh decided when she was very young that she was going to be a teacher.
She said she was inspired to teach by both her mother and her own third-grade teacher. As a kid, she loved to play school at home with friends. She thought it looked like a fun job, and her young mind had a funny idea about the perks.
"I was always obsessed with the fact that [my third-grade teacher] got to drink a Coke while she worked," Deigh told Fox News Digital. "I was like, 'I want to have a job being a teacher, so I can drink Coke on the job.'"
Bentonville Schools posted on Facebook about the special day.
Caroline and Deigh inspired the district and encouraged everyone to make an impact that day.
"This is the feel-good Friday moment we all need today! R.E. Baker Elementary School students were asked to dress like their favorite superhero to end the week. Second grader Caroline Carlson dressed like her teacher, Jaime Deigh," the post reads. "Forget the cape. Throw on a jean jacket and change the world wherever you are today, Bentonville! #whereexcellencelives."
