United Kingdom, May 9 -- Maren Morris' high-school English teacher changed her life.

The 36-year-old country music singer has enjoyed huge success in her career, but Maren doubts whether it would've been possible without the support and encouragement of one particular teacher.

Maren told People: "Her name's Ms. Wheat, and she changed my life because she was really tough on me. She knew how capable I was, and that just made me want to impress her. And I feel like as a writer, as a songwriter, that absolutely had a big impact on me.

"Teachers do all this heavy lifting so kids can build imagination and self-esteem."

Maren actually still donates money to her old school, because she wants to encourage other young people to pursue their own...