I am very lucky to have much support before I leave for Japan. I am happy that my family, friends, and the Study Abroad department are very encouraging and helpful. However, I find that sometimes it means the most when someone who you wouldn't expect to care at all, shows support in a way that proves there are a few genuinely good hearted people left in the world.
Mr. Howard Rice is my Broadcast Advertising Professor this semester. I actually singed up for the class last minute. There was one seat left and I needed a 3000 level course for my major. I walked into class the first day not expecting to take much away with me. I was very wrong.
Before me was an older man in his 60s or 70s with white hair and a pastel button up shirt. He spent the first class telling about his personal life. He grew up in Miami and moved to Philadelphia in the 1970s. He was co-head of the advertising agency Kalish & Rice, which was the most successful agencies in Pennsylvania during its run. Nowadays he teaches at Temple and maintains a strong a relationship with the Major League Baseball Team, The Philadelphia Phillies, who he has does advertisements for.
After talking about himself, Mr. Rice spent the second half of class focusing on the students in the class, and their future. He talked about how he would teach us about advertising, some of us would like us and some would not; and that is okay. In life you have to find your calling and do what you want to do, whether it is what other people think you should do or not. Make sure you get a job with a good 401k plan, so that you can retire happily and have enough money saved so that you do not need to work until you die. Enjoy life and don't take things too seriously.
I have never heard a teacher talk like this before. Usually they walk in to the class, rattle off information from the text and send you on your way. To hear a teacher talk to a class like he actually cared was new to me. A good new.
After a short exercise where we had to make up some sort of advertisement, he ended class by telling us how great we were and how much he enjoyed our class. His wife had died in April, it had been a hard summer and he was unsure of returning to teach this semester. After that first class though, he said he made the right decision.
Every day since that first class Mr. Howard Rice tells jokes, gives cookies to the students during our break and ends class with inspirational quotes on life. Although it is a big class, with maybe 70 students, he takes the time to learn individual names and not leave one student behind.
About 2 weeks ago a guest speaker came to our class, a former student of Mr. Rice's and now the head of Comcast. The man gave praises to Mr. Rice, and the student body advice on life. After class, as my fellow student crowded around to ask the Comcast guy questions, I went over to Mr.Rice who was standing alone in the corner. I said I just wanted to thank him for being a great teacher and that I had a great semester. I also told him that his words really motivate me and next semester I would be studying abroad in Tokyo, Japan. I thought he might find it interesting that I applied for 3 internships, one being with and advertising agency.
His eyes lit up and he thanked me for enjoying the class so much. He went on to ask dozens of questions about my Tokyo experience and told me if there was anything he could do to help to let him know. He said he's give me recommendations, do a mock interview with me, anything. He also told me to keep him updated on how everything with that was going.
The next class, two days later, when we took our class break to eat cookies Mr. Rice called me aside and handed me a gift, wrapped in wrapping paper. "Huh?" I was confused. "This is for you, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to". To my amazement Mr. Rice had bought me a beautiful book about Japan. A guide for exploring the city, places to eat, to shop, tips on the subway system, anything and everything a foreigner should know.
I was in shock. Never before had a teacher gone out of their way to give me a personal present or show that much interest or support in my future plans. Especially not at Temple University, one of the largest Universities in the county with over 30,000 students. Teachers just did not act that way. They taught their lesson plan and sent you on their way, I've had teachers who said the first day of class they were not going to know everyone's names so don't expect them to try, and this man, went far beyond what he had to do just to help a girl out.
Mr. Rice asks me after class at least once a week now how things are going with my travel plans and the internship applications. I keep him updated on the regular and you can be sure of someone I have added to my list of people to buy souvenirs for.
マリㇱサ
