In a personal essay for MIT Technology Review, an alumnus recalls the moment his MIT career almost ended before it began. On his very first exam in Introduction to Solid-State Chemistry, he scored 49 out of 100 — a result he describes as soul-crushing. But the teaching assistant who returned the paper, Leszek Pawlowicz, offered a different kind of feedback: a big smile and the expectation that the score would double on the next quiz.
That simple message landed. The author says it gave him the push he needed to adjust from high school habits to MIT's demands. He went on to score 100 on the following quiz, graduated with grades good enough for graduate school, and credits that initial kick and kind hand as the turning point.
Decades later, the author reached out to Pawlowicz and received a warm reply. The exchange reinforced his belief that a good TA can have a lasting impact far beyond the classroom. The story is a reminder that encouragement, delivered at the right moment, can shape a student's entire trajectory.