Ding Xiaoyu (Christine)
LL.M. ’20, Harvard Law School; Research Scholar, Yale Law School
“Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth.”
He remembers. He cares. He helps.
There are several encounters with Prof. Alford that I will never forget, among which the most memorable was on the evening of February 27, 2020, on the fourth floor of Langdell.
I was in the midst of being uncertain and worried about the result of my medical examination, sitting at the computer area of Langdell and trying to understand what the CT scan images meant. Prof. Alford saw me as he was rushing to an event. He stopped and asked about my medical examination and told me that he knew several doctors who might help if needed.
I was deeply touched at that moment – I didn’t expect that a busy professor like him would ever remember the medical examination a student just briefly mentioned in a casual conversation; I didn’t expect that when rushing to an event, he would stop and take the time to ask; I didn’t expect that to help a student, he would offer his personal connections. He may never know how much courage and comfort he has given and how important it is for a student struggling alone in a foreign country.
This is only one drop in the ocean, and I believe many others have experienced the same. Prof. Alford indeed has a heart for his students. He cares about them feeling welcome, endeavors to give them a memorable experience, and makes HLS their home.
I am lucky enough to be one of those students. Even if one day I forget all the knowledge I have learned here, the caring spirit will never fade away.
That’s what he teaches us, and that’s what I want to pass on.
