Letter to a Student by a Home-Tutor Turned Mentor
Context
The letter I’m sharing is from my visit to Hemal at his hostel shortly after he started at Dhaka University. He was quite reserved—a shy boy who rarely spent nights away from home or went out alone beyond school. This was how I used to know him from class VI to class XII.
Then I suddenly found him adjusting remarkably well to his university life in the busy city of Dhaka, managing his responsibilities.
The Letter
In this personal document, I reflected on how our relationship as a home tutor and student evolved into that of mentor and mentee. Here is the full letter:
November 21, 2022, 8:47 PM
Dhaka.
Dear Hemal,
It is greatly emotional for me to see you grown up and living a life of your own in this busy city. Honestly speaking, I never thought, (not even in my wildest imagination) that you will one day become a “Dhaka guy”, living a busy life miles away from your mother. This truly makes me sad and proud at the same time.
I saw more than a dramatic change in you in the last few months – a boy who couldn’t even think of sleeping alone turned into a young man managing his life all by himself pretty confidently.
The school and college days of tutoring you brings a funny smile on my face. I wonder if I lasted long as your tutor because you hardly had any choice, or because I could really help you understand those critical physics and math issues. But I believe I was honest in giving my 110% while teaching you. Or, should I say “mentoring you?” I believe that a mentor is more than a teacher. A teacher doesn’t yell at you for making poor decisions or spending money on unnecessary items. I remember I spent so many words telling you how you should look at your life from a bigger perspective and how you can overcome your barriers to be successful. Now I think it paid off.
It’s phenomenal to see a guy like you rising from Kayesthorail Government Primary School and making it to Dhaka University, who was bullied for being obese by people surrounding him and whose parents had no high hopes.
It’s been an absolute pride for me visiting you. I don’t remember if I said this ever before, but here you go – “I am proud of you.”
Keep making me and others proud who were there for you in your early days. And I would like to end this letter with some lessons –
- Stay on the track. Don’t fall for anything that will mislead you. Because you don’t want to spoil all your achievements.
- Always remember your past while moving forward. Never underestimate your past stories and the people who were there in your early days.
- Don’t let people take advantage of your simplistic character.
Keep growing. May Allah bless you.
Ashraf.
Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash
