I was scurrying out of Leavenworth Hall at VTSU Castleton to attend a student presentation several weeks  weeks ago when I rounded a corner and nearly ran this female student over.

Then, when I realized it was Akane, a Japanese student I had taught two years ago, my startle turned to a huge smile—one almost as big as hers.

I didn’t think I’d ever again see this student who left such a neat impact on me, and there she was.

We chatted for just a minute, because I had to get to the event. But I quickly learned she came back to visit friends and was in town for over a week.

I said “great, let’s do breakfast some day soon.” We said goodbye – still both smiling.

Two days later, she texted me saying although she appreciated the offer, she wondered if we could just meet in my office.

I meant to respond “sure, no worries!!!!” After all, I was eager to hear what she was up to, if she was still writing (like she did a couple times for the school paper), how school was going back home?

But I spaced it.

Almost senior moment?

Too busy?

Who knows.

As I was writing this, I’m wonder what might have been going through her head for five days as I ignored her text.

But a funny thing happened at 5 a.m., exactly a week after our reunion as I got up to use the restroom (see pre-senior moment).

 I remembered that I forgot to get back to her!

So, I texted her, right then, apologizing profusely and offering to meet later that morning.

I’m not sure why she was up so early, but she responded shortly after and we were on for 9 a.m.

A little back story.

Akane speaks English fairly well, but I speak fast. While taking my classes, she was a frequent flyer in my office seeking extra help to make sure she understood the material.

I loved her work ethic, and she was always so polite. But I guess that extra time I spent with her meant a lot to her. And maybe me getting her to share her writing in the Castleton Spartan student newspaper added to our bond.

She was even emailing me from Japan after she left asking for tips on how to improve her writing, and I sent her a lengthy email with hopefully helpful hints.

But I never thought I’d see her again, which made the last-second reunion that much sweeter.

I had a copy of my Book “Blow by Blow” for her and had written a neat note to her about the impact she had on me. When she arrived, I quickly learned she just graduated and will be starting a career as a social worker helping those with mental illness. She said she might pursue a media career in film after, but for now she wants to help others.

I also learned that she was leaving the next day – so whatever jogged my memory during my 5 a.m. wake-up pee was just in time!

Interestingly, she had written me a letter, folded up in a funky almost origami type way. I waited until she left to read it and it was written as if we weren’t meeting up, which made me a little sad at the thought of her feeling I blew her off. She wrote something like she must have written my number down wrong.

Ugh…

It detailed her plans and she rationalized that the social work job might allow more family time than a media career.

She apologized for “depending on me too much,” but thanked me for making her realize how much fun it is to share written stories. And she said I was basically making her write again—because I blew her off! (My words not hers!).

She talked about Castleton and how kind everyone was to her and how much she appreciated my help.

What she doesn’t know, is that I undoubtedly got a lot more from her than she got from me. I learned about determination, kindness and how to plow through life with a smile.

If the letter itself wasn’t enough to get that lump in my throat, there was a P.S. at the bottom, asking what she could do for me. She said I did a lot for her, and she wants to do something for me, but she didn’t know what that could be.

Her just wanting to come chat with her old professor to excitedly tell me about her life is more than enough, and I told her so.

I tell my college students all the time that a fulfilling life is a lot about the connections you make along the way.

You never know what being pleasant to someone might lead to. Maybe the small talk in the grocery store line or the decision to hold open a door for someone will lead to a job opportunity. Or maybe you’ll just feel good about the thank you or the smile.

Folks in Japan struggling with mental illness will undoubtedly be uplifted by Akane’s smile alone, and will further heal through her hard work and kindness.

I feel grateful to have gotten to work with her.