George Saunders

I was a terrible student, never studied, and he was a really impressive person.

So I kind of took notice and learned.

He saw some kind of unfulfilled potential in me.

And I think he noticed that I wasn't, to understate it, a very serious student.

So he took me to this science fair, an all Chicago science fair for kids my age and younger.

We walked through it and it was just amazing.

I mean, these kids were so, they were nuclear reactors.

I mean, amazing projects, really intense, lots of work.

And I slowly became kind of embarrassed because I hadn't done anything in my high school career.

And I had this slight sense of being with this mentor that I admired and admired.

Somehow being deficient.

And the thing that I learned from that was he never said a word.

He never said, you know, you should have worked harder or you couldn't do this.

He just basically just celebrated.

He looked at the exhibits and praised them and explained why they were good.

But I had taken the message.

I saw that, oh gosh, these four years I could have spent being like these kids.

I squandered.

I better change my life.

But that message got in because there was not even a hint of judgment on his part.