One of my students wrote me a letter on graduation that said he was severely depressed (and I suspect suicidal though he didn’t say it), and my talk with him about why he failed my exam changed his life, because no one had ever told him he was brilliant before. We later worked on research together and he said it was the best time in his life.

We’re still in touch, he’s working on a masters and plans to get a PhD.

I’m so humbled by him, and proud of him.