Throughout her time in the spotlight, Taylor Swift demonstrated not only her talent but also her supremacy in the music industry. Among her many accomplishments, the singer has 14 Grammy Awards, was named Time Person of the Year in 2023, and has sold over 200 million albums. Again, that is only a sample of the star. But before becoming an icon, Swift went to school like every other youngster. Taking a look back, it appears that two of Swift’s previous professors still remember what it was like to have her in class. 

Barbara Kolvek, who taught Swift from first to fourth grade, described her experience as a student with the icon. Despite not knowing what the future held for Swift, Kolvek described the singer as always writing. “She always was writing poetry — always — even in music class, even when she shouldn’t.” Kolvek, now retired, reflected on those remarkable years, stating, “I feel like maybe I gave her a little spark or encouragement to do what she was doing.”

Heather Brown, Swift’s third-grade teacher, told CBS Philadelphia that the singer had a “special quality” that seemed to encompass her. “You remember every pupil based on their qualities. Taylor’s quality was simply that she was one of those students who people gravitated to.” Brown even sends Swift a Christmas card every year, though she admits, “She probably doesn’t get the messages anymore.” 

Regarding Swift’s popularity, Brown stated, “When she comes out on stage and everyone’s screaming ‘Taylor,’ it’s like, oh my gosh, like I was her teacher.”

Taylor Swift Celebrates Her New Album Release

Returning to the present, Swift recently released a post about her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. With the album out now, Swift shared a collage of photographs of herself on Instagram. She captioned the photo, “The Tortured Poets Department.” An anthology of new works that reflect events, thoughts, and attitudes from a transient and fatalistic moment in time, which was both exciting and mournful in equal measure. This time in the author’s life is now complete, with the chapter closed and boarded up. After the wounds have healed, there is nothing to revenge or settle. And, upon further reflection, a significant proportion of them were self-inflicted.

Swift closed her message by saying, “This writer believes that our tears become holy in the shape of ink on a paper. We can be liberated of our most painful memories after we’ve told them. And all that remains is the tormented poetry.”