At the end of the school year in 1997, Judith Toensing wrote in one of her sixth grade students' report cards, "It's been a joy to have you in class. Keep up the good work! Invite me to your Harvard graduation!"
Twenty-one years later, the student did just that. Kristen Gilmer, 33, kept and treasured the note from her former sixth-grade teacher saying, those powerful lessons encouraged her to study public health. So when Gilmer graduated from Harvard as a doctor of public health in May 2018, she made sure Toensing was there to share the big day with her. "She lit a fire in me," says Gilmer.
