My Mentor

After many years I reconnected with my mentor, Dr. Paul Hensel.  Speaking to him after so many years was heart warming.

He will always have a very special place in my heart. I am not sure I would have ever completed my doctorate, or be where I am in my career without his guiding hand. When I told him that, he brushed off the compliment and commented that I would have been successful in my career irrespective of his presence in my life. That’s the humility of the man.

He was probably harder on me than anyone else, but he believed in me and pushed me constantly to let my mind explore new limits. The very first time I met him, his sheer presence was intimidating. Not sure if that stemmed from his personality or from my new environment.

My first semester in the doctorate program was particularly rough – on more than one occasion I wanted to pack my bags and go back to India. In every insecure moment, I sought out Paul. I never shared my insecurities with him, but I think he sensed it, and he was always reassuring, and patient.

I recently reminded him that he took me to my first baseball game to watch the Cardinals in St. Louis. A cherished memory that will always stay with me.
Sometimes, as educators, we lose sight of the lives we touch and how the simplest gestures leave lasting impressions.  He certainly touched my life in ways he will never know.

I can’t wait to see him after all these years…and tip a few.