This teacher is skin-spiring.
A recent Indiana high school graduate inked up his arm with a moving note from his favorite teacher — who he says is responsible for helping him find his passion for life.
“I had no drive, no passion, nothing,” Chayce McCoy said. “I didn’t expect to ever have the possibility of going to college, or ever really graduating.”
McCoy captured the heartwarming moment he showed off his fresh ink to Renee Sigmon, his culinary arts teacher at Carroll High School in Fort Wayne.
The 2024 grad replicated above his heart a handwritten note she had given him that reads: “Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle! Always live your truth and continue to fight for what you believe.”
“Shut up!” Sigmon shouted as she leaped up from her chair. “I was afraid you were going to do that.”
The pair shared a tender hug and Sigmon told her former student that he was “the best.”
The video — which McCoy captioned “More than a teacher” — has since racked up nearly 5 million views.
The pair first met when he signed up for her culinary program during McGoy’s junior year.
In a follow-up video, the teen explained he had “given up” on himself, and while he always had a love for cooking, he never expected it to blossom into a career path.
Sigmon gave her pupil the tools and encouragement to grow and to understand it was never too late to start fresh.
“It’s been really challenging. She’s always pushed me to be my best as a person,” McCoy told 12 News.
Sigmon — who McCoy calls his “school mom” — said it’s her goal to make her students feel like family, opening the door for special and inspiring relationships.
“On the first day, I let them know, ‘You’re going to see me every day, several hours a day, the entire school year. You’re going to be like brothers and sisters in here,’” Sigmon said.
With a high school diploma and culinary certificate in hand, McCoy is now pursuing dreams he never previously thought possible.
He’s heading to college in the fall to study business and hopes to open his own restaurant in the future.
There’s also a possibility he might be interested in filling Sigmon’s shoes when she retires.
