The one who asked everyone to introduce themselves… in 3 languages.
THE ONE WHO ASKED EVERYONE TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES… IN 3 LANGUAGES.
Follow for more glimpses into the unforgettable professor moments that shaped our journeys.
Remember those first days? The palpable mix of exhilaration and that familiar, nagging whisper of imposter syndrome echoing through the hallowed, yet welcoming, spaces. Every face was a story, every voice a potential collaborator or intellectual sparring partner. Then came that professor. Not a grand, imposing figure, but someone with an unconventional sparkle in their eye, challenging the very notion of a conventional first impression.
Day one. Instead of a syllabus recitation, we were met with an unexpected directive: "Introduce yourselves. Your name, where you’re from, and one thing you hope to learn this semester. Now, do that in three different languages." A collective intake of breath. A ripple of nervous laughter. Some faces instantly brightened, already formulating their Trilingual debut. Others, like mine, went blank for a terrifying moment, frantically digging through forgotten high school lessons and half-remembered travel phrases.
It wasn't just an icebreaker; it was an immediate, unvarnished look at the incredible diversity and sometimes, our own linguistic limitations. Some stammered through fragmented sentences, while others eloquently glided between English, Mandarin, and French, or Spanish, Arabic, and German. We saw each other, truly saw each other, beyond the résumés and application essays. It was a shared moment of vulnerability, an instant lesson in the global nature of our cohort, and a powerful signal: this was a place where you'd be pushed, where comfort zones were meant to be expanded, and where the unexpected was simply the starting point for profound learning. That moment set a tone, reminding us that true education often begins where our expectations end.