Dr. S, John J., Sister ? and Jessie C.

The individuals above have had an impact on the lives of me and my family. They changed our lives by simple gestures.....some just for an instant and others for a lifetime.

Dr. S. was the Dean of Admissions at Fordham University when a young George Raboni Sr. applied for admission. Fordham had turned him down. My dad met with Dr. S. and explained that he had graduated in the bottom of his high school class. No one had bothered to notice he was in the bottom of the class at the Bronx High School of Science (read up on this school.....it is pretty impressive). Anyway, Dad offered to take a test against any graduating Senior or Faculty and guaranteed he would come out in the top 10%. Dr. S. offered to accept Dad non-matriculating. Dad fought back and was finally accepted at Fordham. At the end of his first year, Dad won the Gold medal for Excellence......he was #1 in his Freshman class. Dr. S. was the one who presented Dad with the award. Thanks Dr. S.!!!

John J. was a mortgage exec at Marine Midland Bank. When we applied for our first mortgage we knew we were a borderline case. We were approved by the bank but not by the private mortgage insurance company. We needed the PMI since we were only putting down 10% on our first home. I was so upset that we were going to lose the chance to own a home. I worked at a branch of Marine Midland and told my manager what had happened. She gave me a piece of paper with a name and phone number. She told me to call John J. I did and gave him the background of what had taken place. In a very guff voice he said he would look into it and get back to me. About 20 minutes later, he called and said "You have been approved. Make sure you make your payments!!" I sent him a bottle of champagne as a thank you. He called me up and said "Thank you. Now save your money to pay that mortgage"......click.....end of conversation.

Sister ?........this was a tough one. I had finished up my AA degree and had transferred to a 4 year college. I struggled through my first semester. I knew I was in trouble my first day of philosophy class when the instructor drew a square on the wall and asked why that part of the wall was different from the rest.....LOL. At the end of the first semester I was placed on academic probation. I met with the Dean of Students who told me I was most likely not college material and would have to leave school. Now I had to tell my parents I was being thrown out of school......not an easy conversation to have with them. Actually, my grandmother broke the news for me. Well, I ended up at Mercy College (no joke that's the name) a small private Catholic college. And yes, I did get my degree so stick that in your wimple Sr. ?......you didn't know me at all.....your quick to decide judgement could have been devastating but instead my solution was to graduate and copy my diploma, mail her a copy with a note that said I had graduated and I guess I was college material after all.......

Jessie C. ........when you move your child in between the 7th and 8th grade 700 miles form her friends you worry about the transition. Plus, we were putting her in a private school. Orientation was 2 weeks after we moved in. We sat in the back of the auditorium while the students sat up front. Jenn sat alone a few rows between us and the students. Inside I was dying......I wanted to go sit with her but knew it would be wrong. All of a sudden Jessie C. turned around and waved at Jenn to come sit with her. God bless Jessie C.!!!! Later, I met Jessie's parents. I told them they had raised a wonderful daughter whom I would never forget.

4 individuals......each had an impact on our lives. I wonder if I have ever had that kind of impact on any one (meaning the good kine not like Sr. ?)......I hope I have.