a friend sent me a text a few days ago containing an announcement that a former student of mine had been named the superintendent of schools for the district in which i taught for over twenty-five years. this man, now in his forties, was a wonderful student who loved to sing. he was a born leader and inspired others to want to be in his company. he was a fine athlete as well, but he dropped out of sports when they interfered with his participation in the school choir. he was also a brilliant mathematics student, but he refused to take some of the school's advanced math courses because they were scheduled at the same time as choir, such was his devotion to choir.
he went to college on a choir scholarship and majored in math. he went on to be a math teacher, then a school principal, then a district-wide administrator, before becoming an assistant superintendent in a large urban school district in a neighboring state. during this time he earned his masters and doctoral degrees. now he will come back to his hometown as the district's first black superintendent of schools. when i sent him a congratulatory note, his reply told me how much his association with me, my family, and the choir had meant to him. he said that without those influences, he would never have been motivated to achieve what he had. he grew up in a single-family home, and his mother had a meager income. he was determined to create a better life for himself and his loved ones, and he did.
i wish i could take credit for his accomplishments, but it was his strength of character and determination that made him what he is. i am better for having known him and being a part of his life. may we remember that we touch lives without knowing it. may we see the value in every human being and do all we can to make their lives better. may our love and compassion encompass everyone with whom we come in contact, and may we be a source of encouragement. shalom.
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