On a beautiful spring day, I gave myself the job to stay indoors and organize files that I had placed in a filing cabinet two years ago. Along with the “Why am I keeping this?” questions I kept on asking myself, I discovered a few “I know why I kept this!” documents.
In the piles of paper within what I labeled my “Teaching and Consulting-early 1990′s” file folder, I uncovered a letter dated May 23, 1990. When reading it, I began to cry. I cried because I was once again reminded about why I teach.
The letter is from a student who had just completed my course in “Public Relations” in the Marketing Department of the Business & Communications Division at New York City Technical College, a two-year school that is part of the City University of New York.
English majors put your red pen away and refrain from your comments on grammar. Read the message that someone new to America felt at his moment of great accomplishment: graduation from an American college. Also pay attention to the difference that one person in the role of a teacher can make in someone’s life.
My search has already begun on Facebook and LinkedIn to see if I can find the author of this letter. Perhaps now, almost twenty years later, I can tell him that I was proud he was my student.
Dear Professor Henderson,
I’m very glad to receive a letter from school, saying that I’m going to graduate. At this exciting moment, first of all, I would like to express my inner thanks to you. Thank you for your teaching and helps to me. I am in appreciation of all your advices. This experience will never be forgotten in my life, because it’s an important experience in my life. It’s just a milestone which will be recorded in my life history. This unforgettable American college experience will affect me in every step I stride forward in the future. I deeply believe that what I learned are useful and helpful to me. I’m proud of being your student.
While in an out of the classes, we established a friendship between teacher and student. This friendship will be extended to become our concern and help to teach other in the future. That’s the most beautiful friendship in life. It’s as great as the friendship of parents. So, we are not only teacher and student, but also friends.
I came from Canton City, the largest city of southern China. It’s a busy port and the capital city of Guandong Province. It has over two thousand years in history. Before I immigrated with my family in 1984, I was a senior student of the Traditional Chinese Medicine University of Canton.
America is a country which full of energy and vigor. She possesses the modern high tech, science, advanced economic system, democracy government, and multilateral brilliant cultures from different races. She is becoming more beautiful along with the development of the communication and understanding among people. I wish I can always have your advice to guide my future career.
Thank you again!
So long!
Sincerely Yours,
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