A fellow graduate student is going through many difficult decisions right now: PhD vs. Master’s, to drop a class at the end of the semester or not, to switch research groups or not. We just spent an amazing 1/2 an hour organizing a plan of action, a list of people she can get advice from, of ways to gain confidence, of acknowledging how much she’s already achieved by coming from France to learn in the US.

Our conversation had nothing to do with me. But I was elemental in its occurrence. And now my friend feels better, has a plan, looks confident, and best of all, is happy with where she is and where she’s going.

I couldn’t ask for better personal validation.