21 years after telling student to 'invite me to your Harvard graduation,' teacher receives invitation

Harvard.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

On Christin Gilmer's final sixth grade report card, her teacher, Judith Toensing, wrote that she was a "joy to have in class," adding, "invite me to your Harvard graduation!"

This was in 1997, and 21 years later, Toensing was there to watch as Gilmer received her doctorate in public health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Toensing "lit a fire in me that helping people is a powerful tool, and through education you can better serve populations in need," Gilmer told CNN. "I will never forget her passion for others."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.