When I give myself time to reflect on the individuals who have influenced my life, the first person that would come to my mind is one person. This individual is one I will never forget because of some dramatic gesture or riches, but rather by the manner in which he/she believed in me when I myself could not.
His name is Mr. Ade, my lecturer in my second year in the university. He was simply another professor, who lectured and graded papers, but to me, he turned out to be a shining light in one of the most baffling and stressful periods of my life.
The first day I saw him in class is something I remember. He possessed this composed quality, and always put on that benign smile that makes you feel that your inquiries and plights are not in vain. It was a semester in which I was not performing well in school. Part of the ideas were challenging, and I had lost some confidence.
I was skipping some classes due to the fear of being embarrassed and my homework was already starting to add up. One afternoon I chose to wait after the class so that I could ask him a question. I was thinking a very brief, curt response, but instead I received a discussion that broadened my views.
Mr. Ade was an attentive listener who heard me out. He did not interrupt or judge. Once I was finished he straightened himself back on his heels, and told me something that I shall not soon forget: struggle does not make you what you are; it shows you what you may be. Always keep trying, and the results will be there.
But those words appeared simple, then they had something that I had never experienced. I also felt hope once more, something that I had not felt in months. He never simply advised and made me feel that all I needed to do was to work rather than be afraid of results.
In the following weeks and weeks, he turned into more than a lecturer to me. Whenever I would visit his office hours he would motivate me, correct me whenever I made any errors, but on other occasions, he would simply inquire how I was doing. I recall that one day I had failed a major assignment, and I had the urge to quit.
I entered his office in a lost cause. He did not correct me by telling me about his own experiences as a student in his struggles. He explained that he has failed several times and on other occasions he has believed that he will never achieve success. However, all failures made me learn something new. Keep moving forward.” That story stayed with me. It made me realize that failure does not mean the end, but a part of the success journey.
Another minor aspect of his had a permanent impact on me. Whenever somebody did something erroneous in the classroom, he would never call him out in front of the whole class but would quietly correct him, occasionally by texting them after the lesson or complimenting their working hard with little things. I was taught by him the value of kindness, patience and empathy. He showed me that people can retain the message of how you make them feel rather than what you say and I wanted to keep that with me.
Due to Mr.
Ade, I managed to regain confidence gradually. I began to attend every class, discuss, and hand in assignments punctually. What he got me to believe in is my faith in myself. By semester one, not only had I improved in my grades, but also I had acquired a mindset which I still use today.
I will not give up because whenever I have difficult moments, I recall what he said: struggle does not make you; struggle makes you who you can be. It reminds me that all the challenges are temporary and, through hard work, patience, and faith, I would be able to handle it.
As I may think, the influence of this single individual extends beyond the academic arena. Mr. There was no book that could teach me anything about living as I was taught by Ade. He demonstrated that the faith of one human in you might make people brave, strong, and develop. He demonstrated to me that compassion and support can transform lives.
Whenever I meet someone in distress today I also attempt to be like him, to be patient, to encourage or even to listen to them, in hope that I will be able to change the life of someone like he did mine.
Individuals are entering and leaving, but some souls stay behind and time cannot erase them. Mr. One of those souls of mine is Ade. I will not forget him as he helped me to remember that I have some value in my life when I could not observe it, taught me the things that I still tend to follow, and made me realize that even simple words can make a great impact. He is an example that just one person might be enough to bring a lifetime of development and promise.