In instructional settings, educators are both the creator and the vehicle for that which seeks to be born: an academic legacy. Creating an enduring legacy begins with bringing to life the kind of academic environment that one truly wants to be a part of. Crafting a memorable legacy in the classroom requires authentic, sustainable relationships coupled with exemplary instructional practices that make a difference in lives of students including: professionalism, viewpoint diversity, impulse to learn, engaged questioning, and GRIT: "the engine of human accomplishment."