Artist leaves surprise for favorite teacher

By: Zuhayr Alam

On a morning before spring break, math teacher Richard Strike walked into his empty classroom to find a peculiar surprise waiting for him. On his stool was a beautiful abstract painting of Strike’s idol, famous physicist Albert Einstein.

“I was truly stunned,” Strike said. “I was truly humbled. The artwork is amazing. Whoever painted it has so much talent. These simple words do not truly express my feelings.”

The artist has requested to remain anonymous, so the artist’s name will not be used in this article.

“I wanted to paint it because Mr. Strike is one of my favorite teachers, and I thought he deserved a little something after all of the trials he’s been through this year,” the artist said. “It wasn’t hard to figure out he liked Albert Einstein because his room posters, photographs and even multiple figurines of Einstein.”

Strike has plans to take the painting with him after he retires.

“I am going to have the picture mounted on the wall behind my computer stand,” Strike said. “I have told my students on many occasions that I plan to take two things with me after I leave teaching: my life-size Einstein poster that has been with me since the ’80s and this picture.

The artist wants to remain anonymous because “I wanted the idea of the gift to be more about Mr. Strike than myself,” the artist said. “All of his classes were supporting him throughout his trials, and I wanted my classmates to be involved with the painting as much as I was.”