Life as a Special Education Teacher
My story begins on April 24, 2023, a date that will always hold a special place in my heart.
Our Science Special Education teacher, Dylan, had coordinated a field trip for all the Special Education teachers and students who received permission from both their classroom teachers and their parents or guardians. The destination was GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, where we would take a guided tour. We learned back in February where our annual field trip would be, and we were absolutely over the moon with excitement.
All of the Special Education teachers made a pact to keep the location a secret. As April approached, we decided to tell only the students who had no failing grades, and even then, they had to promise not to tell anyone else. Despite their excitement about visiting the home of legends like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, they kept the secret perfectly.
When I found out we were touring Arrowhead Stadium, I was beyond thrilled. I’ve been a Chiefs fan for years. My dad drives past Arrowhead every single night for work, and I’ve always been jealous that he gets to see it lit up in all its glory so often. The students were buzzing with excitement too, and from the start, the day felt truly special.
We arrived at Arrowhead Stadium that afternoon and sat together in the lunch area to eat before the tour began. Afterward, we split into two groups, each with three teachers, twelve students, and an official Arrowhead tour guide.
Our first stop was the Chiefs Hall of Honor. Inside, we saw Super Bowl championship rings, autographed footballs, team uniforms, jerseys from legendary Chiefs players, cleats, shoulder pads, trophies, and historic memorabilia dating back decades. One of the highlights was seeing Travis Kelce’s light pink outfit from his March 4, 2023, appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Next, our guide took us to the very top of the stadium and invited anyone who wanted to look out the windows. Many of our students have barely traveled outside of Eldon, Missouri, so for those who stepped up to the glass, the height was breathtaking. Arrowhead Stadium is about 18 stories tall, and most of these students had never been in a building taller than three floors.
Watching their faces light up as they looked down at the tiny bus we had arrived on was both humbling and joyful. They were completely in awe. From there, we headed into a penthouse suite and sat down, gazing out at the beautiful green turf of GEHA Field.
Our tour guide shared fascinating facts and statistics about the stadium, the Chiefs, and the many artists who had performed there. When he asked, “Does anybody know who Taylor Swift is?” every single student immediately looked at me.
I burst out laughing, and the guide joked, “We’ve got a Taylor Swift fan in the house, huh?” One of my students proudly added, “She is OBSESSED with Taylor Swift.”
The guide asked if I was going to her concert that summer. “The Eras Tour? I wish,” I said. “I’d love to go, but unfortunately, no.” Little did I know what was coming.
He went on to explain how expensive it is to rent a penthouse suite and how companies sometimes rent them out and gift tickets to employees as appreciation. I jokingly thought to myself that I might have chosen the wrong career, but honestly, the concept amazed me.
I let myself daydream for a moment about being at The Eras Tour, but quickly snapped back to reality and refocused on the tour. My Taylor Swift obsession was briefly overpowering my Chiefs curiosity. Just in time, I tuned back in to hear him say, “In 2014, we hit a record of 142.2 decibels.” For some reason, that fact stuck with me.
The Act of Kindness
Fast forward to July 4, 2023. My Facebook feed was flooded with Eras Tour content from every Taylor Swift fan page I followed. I decided to make a small post in a group called Broke Swifties, aimed at Kansas City Eras Tour fans.
In the post, I mentioned that GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium has incredible acoustics and once reached 142.2 decibels in 2014, making it the loudest football stadium on record. I briefly shared that I’m a high school Special Education teacher living in Eldon, Missouri, and that I had taken my students on a tour of the stadium back in April.
I expected a few likes and maybe a couple of comments. I never could have imagined what would happen next.
A few hours later, I noticed a Messenger notification that wouldn’t go away. It was a message request. When I opened it, my eyes immediately filled with tears.
The message said that she had a ticket for the July 7 show that she couldn’t use. She had planned to sell it, but instead wanted to gift it to me as a thank-you for my work as a Special Education teacher.
My mind instantly spiraled.
Did my parents set this up as a surprise? No, that couldn’t be it.
She doesn’t even live in Missouri—what if this is a scam?
What if I drive all the way to Kansas City and it’s not real?
How could someone be this kind? Why me?
I don’t deserve this.
This can’t be real. Am I being punked?
I responded with the only thing I could manage: “Are you serious?”
She replied right away: “I am, 100%. I’d love to send it to you—no strings attached.”
I was shaking and crying as she asked for my email. Two minutes later, the ticket arrived. I was completely overwhelmed.
I immediately FaceTimed my best friend—my mom. She was at work and panicked when she answered, thinking something was terribly wrong. I could barely get the words out, but once I explained, she started crying too.
Luck doesn’t often come my way, and I’d had a very difficult year. This random, selfless act of kindness from a complete stranger hit me like a wave. I felt disbelief, fear, anxiety, gratitude, excitement, and pure joy all at once. These things just don’t happen to me.
My mom felt all of it right along with me. She knows how much I love Taylor Swift. I had never seen her in concert before and had only ever dreamed of attending The Eras Tour.
I truly couldn’t believe it.
The Eras Tour
The very next day, I was in full scramble mode. I needed an outfit, sandals, earrings, a “13” on my hand, cute hair, and at least 20 friendship bracelets—immediately.
My mom and I headed to Jefferson City for some quick retail therapy. We found the perfect pink heart earrings and had a shirt made for the concert since I didn’t have time or money for an elaborate outfit. That night, I stayed up nearly all night making friendship bracelets and planning every detail.
Hotels were either fully booked or outrageously expensive, so we decided I would drive back to my parents’ house after the concert. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was the only realistic option.
Thankfully, my dad—who drives mail overnight from Columbia to Kansas City—worked that night. He stayed on the phone with me from Arrowhead’s parking lot all the way home, nearly four hours. I was exhausted, but I felt safe.
Before the concert, my sister-in-law kindly did my hair because I’m not very skilled with that sort of thing. Driving into Kansas City alone made me a little nervous, but the traffic wasn’t nearly as bad as I expected.
When I paid for parking, my heart started racing again. What if this was all a scam? What if the ticket didn’t work? I sat in my car for a few minutes, calming myself down.
After touching up my mascara and my “13,” I started walking toward the stadium. A woman on a golf cart called out for single riders. I hopped on, and she took me straight to my gate. I gave her a “Getaway Car” bracelet as a thank-you.
As I waited in line, my hands were sweating and my heart was pounding. When it was finally my turn, I scanned my ticket—and it turned green. Someone handed me a light-up bracelet and said, “Enjoy the show!”
I couldn’t believe it. It was real.
I found my suite but waited in the lounge for a bit, trading bracelets and soaking it all in. When I finally went inside, I was the first one there. I took photos, snapped a mirror selfie, and recorded a thank-you video for the woman who gifted me the ticket.
Soon, a family of five joined me and immediately welcomed me in. I shared my story, and they told me how deserving I was and invited me to sit with them.
When the dancers came out with the petals, I started crying. The moment Taylor appeared, I was sobbing and screaming. It was surreal.
I had avoided concert clips online because I never thought this would be my reality. Every second—from the countdown to the confetti—felt like a dream.
Songs like “Marjorie” hit me deeply, making me think of my own grandma. “Tolerate It” felt even more powerful seeing it performed live. I cried, I sang, and I felt everything.
That night was truly the best night of my life. Something I never thought possible became reality, all because of kindness. From a suite, surrounded by strangers who became friends, I experienced a night I will never forget.
It was, without a doubt, enchanting.
