Ella Langley found a special way to say thanks to one of her former teachers.

When she was going to school in Hope Hull, Alabama, Ella had a teacher who made a lasting impact on her, and she recently found a special way to show her appreciation when she returned home to Alabama for two sold-out concerts.

Maury Popwell, known as “Coach Pop,” has been teaching for 57 years and spent 22 of those years at Hooper Academy, where he once taught Ella. The two shared a love for horses and music, and on Fridays they would meet up to play guitar together before school.

Coach Pop would bring his 12-string guitar to play, and he said that Ella really enjoyed playing it. When she decided to move to Nashville to chase her dream, he had a plan.

“When I found out she was going to Nashville, I called her right before school started and I told her come by the school today and she did,” Coach Pop said. “I gave her that guitar. So she took it with her.”

When Ella played at Auburn University in Alabama over the weekend, she took the opportunity to say thank you by giving Coach Pop a signed guitar backstage.

According to Caitlyn, Coach Pop’s granddaughter, Ella sent him tickets to the concert and surprised him backstage with a guitar of his own.