<B>PASCALE REVEL</B> <I>Recruitment consultant</I>

?The person I?m going to talk about is someone who definitely helped me on the way to success in my career! Maurice Harel ? the head of department for Gestion Economique et Administrative (GEA), at the Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Université de Picardie. I was not a typical student as I was one of the oldest of this GEA year ; (to put it briefly I didn?t join the IUT right after high school but six years later ? as I had chosen to have some professional experience first) and he was one of the oldest teachers, about 1m60, with small glasses, and always dressed in a dark suit! And he was our lecturer in Labour Law (a very sleepy subject).

We first met on registration day. We were about 100 (his students) in the university auditorium. He called out our names over a microphone and did the same for the next two years before every lecture. The way he called your name was an invitation to react! And if I didn?t answer: ?Present? the first time, my full name was called louder every time and a few times with the extra comment: ?Oh there she is !? Worse was to come two months after his course started: For the first DS (written test) my marks were 7/20! Which he announced during the option classes!

Disappointed and quite angry, I felt that a good explanation was needed as I had spent some long nights preparing for the exam! I requested a face-to-face meeting, which he granted me the same evening; he didn?t look surprised, as if he was expecting it. Once in his office, I remained standing and told him right away: ?I have not flown twelve thousand kilometers to get a 7/20 in Law.?

?Hold on! Cool down! When you are no good at law writing, that?s what you get - it?s not just content but form also.? - Content and form? I knew that I had revised the required chapters ! Looking less severe, he then offered me his help. I improved and obtained much better marks by the end of the first year with the extra homework and meetings we had, but I never felt special as he treated me like the other students and sometimes more severely ? he didn?t miss a chance to shut me up. I completed my first year, came back to Mauritius for the holiday break and went back for the second year. A few weeks before the end of the year, I received a phone call from my relatives saying that my father was seriously sick and needed treatment abroad. Being the eldest child, I decided to give up my second year and fly back to Mauritius.

I again requested to meet with Mr. Harel privately and informed him that it was for personal reasons. So we met in his office - no one goes there often! I explained the situation including details about how much my father means to me and expected him to favour my decision but to my utter surprise he said heartlessly: ?Look, my dear, if you leave now, it will be hard to get back into your studies. Maybe your father needs all his children around him ; he will get better but you will have messed up your career! And believe me,he will be even happier and prouder of you if you continue? I fell somewhat disappointed as I thought he would understand how much it meant to me and I thanked him with a cold ?Thanks for taking the time to listen to me? and left his office saying to myself: ?Family doesn?t mean much to these people.? I didn?t sleep the entire following week end and finally decided not to go back though I felt very bad about it.

On the following Monday, when he called our names before his lecture, I replied ?Present? and the way he reacted made me feel even guiltier: he had that winning smile that I hated and which he had used when he gave me that 7/20.

However, I graduated with honours and he congratulated me warmly and recommended me for further studies. It took me time to realise that behind this old man there wasn?t only the law teacher, but also someone deeply committed to helping us achieve our goals. He will probable never know how thankful and grateful I am to him. The worst thing is that we don?t even take the opportunity to thank them! But I hope they know how we feel. Wherever you are, ?Thank you Mr. Harel!?