Professor Biden’s Decision
Hours before President Joe Biden announced that he would no longer seek reelection, I tested positive for Covid. Self-isolating and with mild symptoms, I knew that I needed to rest to expedite my recovery. Once I heard the news, I couldn’t.
Instead, my mind raced back nearly 19 years ago. I was a law student starting my third and final year. Young and ambitious, I secured a coveted seat in a small, advanced seminar class on constitutional law taught by then-Senator Biden. I was thrilled, but also intimidated. As the son of immigrants from Bangladesh who grew up in Philly, I had never spent any significant amount of time with a prominent individual, let alone a sitting United States Senator who ran for president and shaped countless major events on the national and international stage.
Soon enough, my anxiety subsided. The senator was warm and engaging. As much as he lectured, he also listened (even to me). He convinced us, a group of about a dozen or so students, that what we had to say mattered. We discussed major constitutional law cases and current events. Senator Biden shared with us deeply personal stories about his life and family. Though our class was only scheduled for a few hours every Saturday morning, we would routinely stay for hours beyond our end time, eager to continue our conversations.
While he was my professor for only one semester, he shared a lifetime of lessons that have guided me since, both personally and professionally. His compassion and empathy would stay with me.
Fast forward to now, a cascade of thoughts erupted when I heard the news. The memories of a diligent and attentive teacher, the arc of a public servant that led him to the White House, and his unwavering desire to make our lives better. President Biden’s decision was emblematic of the professor I knew and what we all have known. He committed his life in service to the Nation, and when faced with a difficult choice, the President chose the path that, in his judgment, would best serve the interests of the American people. Regardless of one’s political views, it is a standard that ought to govern every single leader in this country.
Long after this election cycle, I’ll likely forget the streams of commentary that preceded the President’s decision. Instead, I’ll remember a small classroom filled with students with their whole careers ahead of them and a professor who sought to make a difference.