Elle King stopped by Chouteau High School in Oklahoma on Friday, March 24, to surprise two special people: Cathy Welker-Graham, one of Elle's biggest fans and the school's teacher of the year, and Emma Hughes, a senior student who wrote to Elle about her remarkable teacher.
During her visit, Elle and her guitarist gifted Cathy, Emma and the school's faculty, staff and student body with an acoustic performance of her song "America's Sweetheart."
"I didn’t always have the greatest experience in school," Elle admits with a laugh to the press. "But every few schools I would find a teacher who believed in me, and it gave me confidence and they told me that I could do something great with my life even if I was different. So I think that great teachers should be celebrated. It was important to me that we show this deserving teacher some well-earned gratitude."
"As educators, this is why we do what we do," adds Chouteau High School Principal Clint Hall, who assisted with organizing the event. "We are here to make positive impacts on our students. It took a lot for me to keep a lid on this. Mrs. Welker-Graham is a rockstar teacher and Emma is a great kid! It could not have come together for two better people. This was priceless! Tears of joy from a lot of people today!"
Watch a clip of Elle's surprise visit on Instagram.