Growing up, Dawn Ticarich once felt that her birthday was a “burden” on her family. However, when she became a teacher, she realized she wasn’t alone and decided to change that perspective.
Some children eagerly anticipate their birthdays all year, hoping for gifts and treats, but Dawn knew this wasn’t the reality for every child.
As a child, she used to feel “scared” when her birthday came around because she knew that only through sacrifices from her family would her birthday feel special.
“I overheard discussions about bills, like water or electricity getting cut off,” she told People magazine. “My birthday was right after Christmas, in early February, and I knew throwing a party for me was a burden for my family.”
When Ticarich grew up and became an elementary school teacher, she made it one of her main goals to teach her students that “birthdays are important.” Her students, who call her Miss T, quickly reminded her how significant these small gestures could be.
She recalled the first time they celebrated a student’s birthday at her low-income school in West Virginia, “My heart broke… because I gave a little boy a gift, and he stepped on it, thinking it was from his mom. He didn’t even think the teacher would give him a birthday present.”
She realized that the feelings she had experienced as a child were being felt by her students too.
So, she began preparing thoughtful birthday gift baskets for each student—a tradition she started last year after moving to Utah.
Now teaching fourth grade, Ticarich noted that while the student body had changed, their need for special recognition remained the same.
Even students from wealthier families, she said, “What parents can’t replicate is the social connection—the feeling of being loved and special by 22 peers in the class.” She added, “Even the richest families can’t recreate that feeling.”
Ticarich began documenting her gift-gathering process on TikTok, explaining the significance behind her choices. Initially, she paid for these gifts herself, but now she has an Amazon wishlist for those willing to contribute.
Her approach includes sending out surveys to parents, taking suggestions from students, and observing what makes them feel special. “I feel like you only get one childhood, and children deserve that magic. It’s really important to me.”
She hopes her students will not only receive thoughtful gifts but also learn meaningful messages from the experience.
“Giving gifts is the only way I can express love,” she says, explaining that “by doing this, I let them know they matter, and I do my best to help.”
During Teacher Appreciation Week, she witnessed how her students returned this love, when they cleaned and organized the classroom storage cabinets as a surprise.
“That’s them saying, ‘I want to do something for you, this matters to me,’” she says, sharing the satisfaction she feels watching her students grow into compassionate individuals. “I’m always telling them… you will encounter people who need extra support, and knowing how to offer help is so important.”
Her kindness has extended beyond her classroom and into the school hallways, leading to the creation of a “Blessing Cabinet.” Initially filled with everyday items like lip balm and hand warmers, it eventually grew to include clothing, shoes, hygiene products, and even food.
To avoid students feeling embarrassed or ashamed to take anything from the cabinet, Ticarich implemented a “no-questions-asked” policy, allowing anyone to take what they need without explanation. “Even if your mom needs lip balm, you can take it. Or if a cashier at the grocery store needs a hand warmer, you can take it. No one asks why,” she says. “You won’t ask why someone takes a comb, because you don’t know if it’s for their neighbor.”
The “Blessing Cabinet” later began offering food to families in need within the school.
“We never told anyone ‘no,’” she says, sharing how the list of beneficiaries continued to grow. Although Ticarich initially funded these efforts herself, she now receives donations and has even been able to replicate the “Blessing Cabinet” at a local Title I school.
Despite the positive feedback her actions have received, Ticarich admits that she occasionally faces negative comments online, criticizing her for spending so much effort on her students. Initially, she closed her TikTok account because of these comments, but the encouragement from her community helped her decide to continue sharing the joy.
“‘If you’ve helped one child, why care?’” she recalls the parent association president telling her, which made her reconsider the impact of negative comments. “Many people said, ‘If you had an adult in your life who did this and then stopped, how would you feel?’”
By sticking to her vision, Ticarich has allowed more people to see the issue from a different perspective.
“I realized that especially when it comes to trauma, rebuilding, and restorative practices, those who haven’t experienced it may not understand. So I decided to start sharing my intentions with these gift baskets,” she says. “A lot of people in the comments said, ‘Okay, you made me rethink it. I thought this was silly, over-the-top. I won’t say we changed their minds, but we showed them a different perspective.”
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