She was about to drop out of college, but then her professor stepped in

This story is part of the My Unsung Hero series, from the Hidden Brain team. It features stories of people whose kindness left a lasting impression on someone else.

In 1971, Silvana Clark graduated from high school. Soon after, her parents moved to another state, leaving Clark to fend for herself.

“They didn’t ask where I would be living or if I was going to college. They knew nothing. They didn’t give me any money. They just left,” Clark recalled.

Clark felt lost, alone and directionless. Luckily, her high school drama teacher, a man named George Meshke, had just taken a job at a community college and suggested she register there. She had just enough money for tuition and a place to stay.

“I still was very tight on money. I remember not having enough money for toothpaste. And so I just brushed my teeth a long time with water,” Clark said.

Clark enjoyed her first semester of college. But as winter break neared, she began to realize that she didn’t have enough money to pay for the next semester. One of the first people she informed was her drama teacher, Meshke.

“I [told him], ‘I can’t come next semester. I’m gonna have to just work really, really hard so I can come next year, but I just can’t make it again.”‘

Two days later, Meshke approached Clark with unexpected news.

“He always [was] kind of gruff. And he [said], ‘Well, you don’t probably really deserve it, but I found out there was a college drama scholarship and, well, you got it. So, your next semester is totally paid for,'” Clark remembered.

Clark was shocked and relieved. The next semester, she worked as many part-time jobs as she could.

“I was an Easter Bunny at a mall, I worked at the park department — anything I could just to save up money.”

Toward the end of the school year, Clark realized that her drama scholarship might be renewable. But when she went to the financial aid department, she learned the scholarship didn’t exist. The only thing the people at the office could tell her was that all her school fees had been paid.

“So, I knew that [Professor Meshke], he paid for my semester at college.”

That summer, Clark was able to get a well-paid job as a camp counselor. She was able to stay in school and eventually graduate, something she knows would have been impossible without Meshke’s help.

“I’ll never forget that he said I had a scholarship and he paid for my college tuition,” she said. “I get teared up just thinking about it.”

My Unsung Hero is also a podcast — new episodes are released every Tuesday. To share the story of your unsung hero with the Hidden Brain team, record a voice memo on your phone and send it to [email protected].