A beloved English teacher at a high school in Bristol, Virginia, was surprised with a sweet video from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in honor of her retirement.
Carol Propst, an educator for 39 years, told HuffPost she’s “always enjoyed The Rock’s jaunty eyebrow arch,” but that she “didn’t really zero in on him as my celebrity crush until I was involuntarily drafted to chaperone some students who were attending a showing of “Fast Five” at a local movie theater.” Propst said Johnson’s character, Hobbs, “riveted” her from the start.
To pay homage to Propst for her retirement, fellow teacher Noah Ashbrook launched a social media campaign to get her an autograph from Johnson. He tweeted at Johnson for 70 straight days in an effort to get the star’s attention.
While we don’t recommend such a concerted effort to get a celebrity’s attention, Ashbrook’s efforts worked.
Johnson’s team sent Propst a gift package and a personalized video message, which Ashbrook tweeted below.
“Wow, Carol. Congratulations! I’m so happy, I’m so proud of you,” Johnson said in the video, who then thanked her on “behalf of all parents.”
“Thank you and thank all of your fellow teachers for your wisdom, for your love, for your care, for your discipline ― which I needed a lot, if you were my teacher,” he said.
He also remarked that based on the robust social media campaign launched by friends and fellow teachers to get his attention, he could tell she has a “supportive community.”
Propst told HuffPost her reaction to the message from Johnson was “sheer joy and disbelief!”
“I could not fathom that someone as busy and sought-after as he would have time to attend to such a matter. At best, I was hoping for an 8” x 10” glossy photo with autograph, but his personal shout-out not only to me but to all teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week was better than anything I could have imagined,” she said.
Ashbrook also addressed Johnson’s kindness in a tweet featuring a photo of Propst beside a cardboard cut-out of the star.
She also shared a note of thanks on her own account, thanking The Rock for acknowledging her retirement and all of her “beloved students and colleagues.”
The Rock tweeted about the exchange on Thursday, saying Propst’s “reaction is just beautiful.”
“Things like this are the best part of fame. Congratulations Carol Propst and thank you for 39yrs of some of the most important work that can be done,” he wrote.
Propst says that her plans for retirement are “still somewhat fluid,” but that she certainly “won’t be sitting around eating bonbons.”
“I already have some roles to fill in certain organizations, including my church, clubs, and others, but I am still considering several different options of various types of productivity,” she said, adding: “Of course, there are lots of books to read that are calling my name.”
Of her illustrious career and the “kindness and support” she’s received over the years, Propst says: “I am the luckiest woman on earth.”
This story has been updated with comments from Propst.