A Fan

I was over at Hazem's shop tonight. He has agreed to rent the back of the shop to me so I can have a semi-permanent workshop space. For the past seven years, I have been dragging my tools around to other places to work on my projects. Loading the truck, unloading the truck, setting up, working for several hours, cleaning up, taking it down, reloading the truck, then unloading it every time I work is tiresome. I am happy to have this new space to say the least.
In the back of the shop, there is a large garage door with a row of windows in it. It is handy because I can back up to the door to unload lumber. Tonight, after Hazem left, I was working on some more bottle carriers for the upcoming gala. We will auction them for student scholarships. It was just before sundown and I was working hard on the carriers. At one point, I had a very strange feeling and I looked up and over at the windows in the door. There was a young man (perhaps 30) staring intently at me. It didn't startle me, but it was awkward for a few moments. He smiled broadly, pointed at the bench where I was working, then gave me a big thumbs up. I thought maybe he was developmentally delayed as he just continued to watch me with that funny grin. I turned back to my work, but he stayed at the window. I could feel his presence behind me, but it didn't bother me. If it were my shop, I would have opened the door and invited him in. After about 30 minutes, I heard a light tap on the window and I turned to see him smiling and waving goodbye. I smile too and waved.
As I get older, I appreciate these brief communions with their simple gestures. It makes me feel human.

Scholarships

I was thirty-two before I managed any sort of academic achievement. While in graduate school, I received a small scholarship of $500 that meant the world to me. I am not sure if I deserved it; it might have been a kind gesture from a few of my wonderful professors. All I know is that it changed me. Overnight I became a confident, efficacious student, and it was just the beginning of my educational acceleration. When I finished my Master's degree, the department asked me to start teaching graduate courses. That sudden, sustained burst was instilled by an act of kindness and good faith. I know the power of such actions firsthand.
Tonight, I attended the Arab Student Union's scholarship dinner. It was a very nice event, as always, and I enjoyed myself. I listened as we were told of the impact these new scholarships were having on students two generations removed from my experience. I could see the same sort of synergy and excitement that was planted by modest and generous awards alike. The recipients knew that there were people who trusted and believed in them, and I sensed the same sort of responsibility I felt nearly thirty years ago. I was also very thrilled to learn that my Learning Assistant, Arwah, had received a scholarship tonight as well. She is a returning student from Yemen who works very hard at her job and at her studies. I couldn't have been prouder.

I was also thrilled to accept a beautiful award thanking our department, Learning Enrichment and College Readiness, for its support of these students. We are on track to providing another scholarship this year :)

I can't express how energizing it is to work hard, but to also do so in the company of a great team, school and community! Nina and Sara have done a wonderful job leading the ASU this year, and you can see it in the confidence and grace of the students. As an added treat, Zain, on of our student assistants, was the featured entertainment at the end of the program. He has an amazing voice.

I don't know many people who grew up as I did, but I do know that there are probably thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, who have no idea of their academic or professional potential. Providing scholarship and recognition to these dreamers has immeasurable effect. I hope you donate to scholarships and similar academic support measures as someone who understands the power of faith and personal investment. That ancient scholarship changed my life and I mean to help change a thousand more......