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" When I was younger, I insisted on doing a lot of things on my own terms. This included attending classes. During my time as an undergraduate at St. Thomas, I preoccupied myself with so many extracurriculars that going to class just wasn't a priority for me. I lost count of how many times I missed Jonathan Rahn's Linguistics class. I lost count of how many times I went to visit him in his office, subsequently. Dr. Rahn never turned me away, and always keenly welcomed my interest in, and enthusiasm for, linguistics. Regardless of my attendance. It's strange to think that I could find a mentor and friend in a professor whose class I rarely attended; but that's precisely what Jonathan Rahn was and is to me now. A lesser professor might have scoffed and turned me away. A lesser professor wouldn't have spoken to me as an equal, and definitely wouldn't have had the patience to deal with my absenteeism. It takes a professor characteristic of St. Thomas' faculty to show the kindness, understanding, patience and genuine concern for a student that Dr. Rahn showed me. Why else would I have returned for a second degree?" Told on January 24, 2008 @ 3:20am, by Ari Najarian. Regarding Jonathan Rahn from the Romance Languages department. |