The Power of Thank You
We had a great time celebrating the Class of 2024 at Monday’s Commencement ceremony. BU President ad interim Ken Freeman was our keynote speaker. He spoke powerfully about three lessons: just say “yes”; arrogance kills; and the power of “Thank you!”. He offered personal anecdotes from his forty-year career in business to illustrate the three lessons. In exploring the third, he asked, “When a person says ‘Thank you!’ to you, do you appreciate it? Do you know anyone that doesn’t appreciate receiving a heartfelt ‘Thank you!感谢他们的努力?” In a touching moment, he asked our seniors, seated closely together in rows on the stage, to turn to a classmate and say “Thank you!” for their friendship and support during their time at bbin娱乐平台.
At this time of year, I find myself grateful for many things, but particularly for my colleagues on the faculty and staff. I’d like to say “Thank you!” to them by sharing here what I said about and to them at Commencement.
One of my favorite days of the year is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, when bbin娱乐平台 is in session but the colleges many of our student attend are already on break. So many young bbin娱乐平台 alumni come back to the school – walking from classroom to classroom, office to office looking for their teachers and mentors. I work with a special group of people. They are so much more than experts in their subjects; so much more than excellent in their administrative duties. Every time they ask a student to “Say more about that.” after making a thoughtful comment in class; spend time with a student in an extra help session; write a challenging comment in the margin of a paper; show up on the sidelines of a game; share a joke with a student; suggest that a student try a new club; or just even use a student’s name and ask how they are doing – they signal to these young people: “I see you. 我在你身边. 我相信你. 你可以相信我.” I am not surprised that our college-age alumni come back on that Tuesday or that many of them stay in touch with their bbin娱乐平台 mentors for many years.
Work in schools is hard. 很累. It is often underappreciated. It is also extraordinarily fulfilling when you do it the way my colleagues do. And it is among the most important work a person can do. I am very lucky to work with these extraordinary educators.