On the day we remember Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the detail that says everything is how he spent his last moments, in front of students, teaching.
"Teaching is a very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual. If people remember me as a good teacher, that will be the biggest honour for me," said Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
On this day in 2015, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam collapsed while delivering a lecture to students at IIM Shillong. India's Missile Man, its eleventh President, one of its finest scientists. And he chose to spend his last moments doing the thing he loved most: teaching.
That was always the tell. A man who could have rested on any of a dozen titles stood, again and again, in front of students instead. He believed the future of a nation is written in its classrooms, and that a teacher who lights a single mind does work no missile or high office ever could.
We think about that often. The reason we obsess over cutting paperwork and automating the routine is simple: every hour handed back to a teacher is an hour returned to Kalam's classroom, to the character, caliber, and future of one more student.
To every teacher carrying his legacy forward: thank you. And to every student dreaming big today, he was talking to you. 🚀