What inspired you to enter your profession? Was it someone or something that influenced you? Are you still inspired by those people and/or experiences today? As teachers and meteorologists, many of us were called to our line of work as young people. We learned from the enthusiasm of our sixth grade history teacher, or we were impressed by the willingness of our high school chemistry teacher to take the time after class to answer our endless questions. Perhaps it was a certain meteorologist we watched on TV as a kid that led us to study weather. Today we pass along that heritage to the students we teach or the viewers who watch our weather broadcasts. In this presentation, a broadcast meteorologist shares the early influences that have guided his 27-year career, and reflects on how they have shaped his educational outreach to viewers. Examples of on-air and off-air outreach to students and viewers will be shown. He will also speak about the need to stay inspired as we reach out to viewers and students, and how we can use past experiences with teachers and mentors to reach out to viewers and students today.