Twenty-five years may seem like a long time to many of us. In some ways, it's not.
I met Coach Sebastiani in high school. I had found fencing and Coach had found me at a State fencing tournament. At that time, I didn't realize what an impact Coach would have on my life.
I did find myself at Princeton a year or two later. I arrived on campus intent on surviving the academic rigors, and realizing my potential as a fencer. Maitre had a unique style of coaching. He was often soft-spoken but still managed to aways direct with authority. He befriended his students but always commanded the highest respect. He led by example, never by demanding. He taught us to reach high, not just for him, but rather, for ourselves.
I co-captained the team in my junior year and missed many a meal sitting in Coach's office chatting. Sometimes it was about fencing. Other times, it was about life. He had stories from his days as a commando in Africa as well as his first days in the United States, driving a car of American steel, and playing clarinet with his jazz heroes in New Orleans.
After four years, I learned more than I could possibly have expected. I was never a champion in fencing. This was no fault of Coach. I made it farther than I could have imagined when I started that journey...far beyond my actual potential.
We celebrated Coach's retirement this weekend...many, many of us. Students returned from all over the World. We all took a part of Coach with us when we each left. And, over 25 years, his students have gone in every possible direction. In some way, his influence has touched just about every corner of the World.
So, twenty-five years is not a long time...not long considering all that Coach has accomplished in this short period of time...considering all the lives that he has enriched.
Ne subi pas.