The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving. Albert Einstein

There are some things in life that become a part of your heart and soul. It doesn’t happen often. It doesn't happen quickly. It doesn't happen without struggle, hard work and the generosity of others, but when it happens, it transforms your world giving your life meaning, opportunity and purpose.

Thanks to the generosity of kind-spirited people like my parents and a handful of hard working Holy Cross priests from Notre Dame, King’s College, my alma mater, was founded more than two generations ago for the sons of working class parents and World War II veterans who had hopes and dreams of a better life.  On this special evening, Kitch and I were making our way to the college to attend the thirty-seventh annual President’s Dinner.

From the moment we opened the door to the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center, we heard the sounds of joyful conversation. Once inside the door, we were greeted by the smiling face of a man named Dan who cared for the rooms in the department where we worked all those years ago.

As I snapped his picture with Kitch, I thought to myself, how appropriate to be greeted by this man who was so much like my father and thefather of the person we were about to honor, John O’Brien.

Dan might not have a Ph.D., but, in our opinion, he has something more impressive. He has heart, determination, and dedication to his family.

This is a man who works two jobs so that his children will have a life better than his. Dan is the quintessential King's College parent. He is what this college is all about, dreams and opportunity.

Whatever apprehension I had, it disappeared with Dan’s warm greeting and big smile.

At the registration table, we were given our table assignment and politely told who would be sitting at Table 22. As I listened to the names, I knew it was going to be a wonderful evening.

The reception was well underway by the time we arrived, and the people we met were warm and welcoming. Chris and Melissa Alexander greeted us with hugs and words of friendship. We have much in common with the Alexanders including the fact that Dr. Michael Harostock is central to our Heart Scene stories.

Fr. John Bendick, a dear friend of Atty. Pat Mulloy, one of my very favorite people from the class of 1963, joined Kitch for a picture and a wonderful conversation about his adventures since our last meeting several years ago.

As we turned to walk away, John O'Brien greeted us with a smile that looked like the road map of Ireland. John is everything a friend should be and more. Our friendship began in the 1950's at St. Mary's High School, and it has become one of the life-sustaining elements of our life.

If truth be told, we were at King's College on this evening of celebration to honor John's stewardship of the Legacy of Excellence Capital Campaign. The evening would mark the end of an assignment he accepted in 2004.

For months he and Fr. Tom O'Hara, the President of King's, have been crisscrossing the country in search of people with a generous heart who would help the college in its second capital campaign.

For a small Catholic college this work is essential, and no one I know had a more impressive combination of talents needed to lead this effort.

John O'Brien, the son of Agnes and Bernie O'Brien, the younger brother of Patricia O'Brien and the patriarch of the O'Brien family is a 1964 graduate of King's College.

His roots are deep in the soil of the working class neighborhoods of the East End of Wilkes-Barre and he is a man whose life in corporate America is a textbook example for what makes America great.

John is a man of many accomplishments, but they have not tarnished his heart of gold.

This is a man who values, comforts, supports and is impressively loyal to his friends, especially when they are hurting and in great pain.

He is a man who personifies what King's College is on its very best days. He was the ideal man for the job.

Before the evening ended, the 330 people in attendance would be witness to this fact and so much more.

When we arrived at Table 22 on the third floor of the campus center, Mr.& Mrs. James Gilmartin were waiting for us.

Jim is a 1962 graduate of King's, a member of the Reading Area Community College Board of Trustees, and a cancer survivor of 17 years.

By nature the Gilmartins are quiet, graceful people. There is a dignity and charm about them that draws people to them.

After a brief conversation, Dr. Jerry Burns and his wife arrived.

Jerry is a member of the class of '63, and as I remember him, he was one of the best students in the class. Quiet and soft spoken, Jerry was a fierce competitor and a person who capitalized on every opportunity. His wife is a very charming person who makes you feel comfortable from the first hello.

Soon, Jack and Ann Mullroy joined us and all of the seats at our table were filled. Jack is a person of exuberance and wonderful athletic abilities. He was Mr. Everything when we were in high school.

He was the first and only Biddy Basketball All American to come from our area. He was an all-star high school basketball player and a member of the King's College basketball team in the early 1960's.

Jack is very outgoing and a great conversationalist, while Ann is quiet and soft spoken. Jack and I have one thing in common. We both have heart disease, and we are adjusting to lifestyle changes that will extend our second chance at life.

Throughout the evening we talked about things that people in our age group talk about: our children and their children; our culture as contrasted with today's culture; our parents and their high expectations for us; our educational traditions contrasted with today's more student-centered traditions, our struggles with a serious illness.

It was a perfect mix of people with experiences and interesting stories to tell. Among ourselves we decided that ours was the best table in the room. Obviously, people at other tables felt the same way.

While we chatted away like teenagers at a house party, Frank Castrignano played music that was soothing to the ear and appropriate for the occasion. No one plays clarinet like "Casty."

John Carney, Fr. Tom O'Hara and Fr. Pat Sullivan visited with us at our table.

With John Carney we reminisced about our days at King's and the importance of keeping students outside their comfort zone.

Again and again, John Carney asked Kitch and me to do that for his son, Bob, when he was a student in our courses. Apparently, it worked as Bob's career has flourished

Then, the program began. Frank Pasquini, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, greeted everyone, and he shared some important facts about the make-up of the room and the agenda for the evening.

Reverend Richard C. Hockam, College Chaplain, gave a beautiful invocation.

Fr. Thomas O'Hara, President of King's College, captivated the audience with a splendid introduction of five students who represent the best and the brightest of the Senior Class: Paul Bryant, Amanda Marchica, Ave Moran, Joseph Gaiteri and Joe Deegan.

These young men and women represent a tradition of excellence in the classroom and service to the community. They personify the dreams of students everywhere, and the promise of America that makes one believe that the next generation of leaders in education, science, government and medicine will be compassionate, kind, competent and caring.

We, the senior members of the King's community, were face to face with our future, and it was a bright future, indeed, lighted by a young woman who will pursue a medical degree in Philadelphia, a Fullbright scholarship winner, a 3.975 chemistry major who believes that anything is possible, an elementary education major and student athlete who is one of 12 children and the first generation college graduate in her family, another elementary education major who gave up football to learn how to be a teacher who will return to the inner city to give hope and inspiration to students in his community and a young man from Plains, Pennsylvania, who earned a 3.995 GPA. He will go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to pursue a Ph.D.

As you looked into these youthful faces and listened to the words that described their accomplishments, thoughts of hope, service and achievement filled the room.

It was a singular moment, and it concretized why this campaign was called Legacy of Excellence and why this small school built upon the dreams and sacrifices of thousands of second generation immigrants is so unique.

It was a moment that left everyone in the room breathless and inspired.

We needed a break from this emotional high. Dinner was served none too soon.

Pat Mazzanti stopped at our table. Together we relived some wonderful moments.

Pat was always competent, helpful and kind to us when we taught at King's. Our memories of her are positive in every respect.

She is one of the jewels in the King's crown.

Just when we thought the evening could not get any better, it did. The Chairman of the Board, Eberhard Faber, took the stage and spoke these words: "Don't you love those students?"

The room came to attention when John O'Brien stood at the podium and began to thank the various constituencies who were responsible for the accomplishment he was about to discuss.

Carefully and without haste, he mentioned every organization and every name so that everyone who helped him during his five year journey could feel good about the contribution they made and the work they did.

He paused as the audience waited, and he began to talk about a subject he thought was central to the Legacy of Excellence Capital Campaign. "Naturally, every campaign of this magnitude needs materials..."

As he talked Kitch and I sat speechless looking at each other with a feeling that is indescribable.

John O'Brien, our friend, was speaking to us. The words were affirming and comforting. They were words we hoped we would hear, wanted to hear, needed to hear. They were words of gratitude, appreciation and healing. The words "thank you" led to a moment we will never forget.

Then John announced the number, $37,000,000, substantially more than the established goal and significantly more than the previous capital campaign. It was a stunning moment for every one in the room and a tangible sign that this small college would be well positioned in the competitive educational market in the years ahead.

For O'Brien, it was a signature moment of success only to be outdone by the award he was about to receive.

Clutching a beautiful bronze medallion with a bright red ribbon, Fr. Tom O'Hara and Eberhard Faber presented John with the Kilburn Medal as a mark of their gratitude for what he did to shape the success of the Capital Campaign.

John O'Brien, the teenager from East End, who walked to King's College. John O'Brien the son of a blue collar worker. John O'Brien the sophomore at St. Mary's High School who lost his mother, Agnes, during childbirth. John O'Brien, a man of intelligence, wisdom, grace, loyalty and vision was the sixteenth recipient of this prestigious award.

It was an exhilarating moment for everyone in the room, and everyone who has been touched by his goodness. It was a moment that clearly demonstrates the value of hard work and determination.

For the rest of the evening, that medal hung from the neck of the person who earned it as he accepted the congratulations of friends and family. For the next 45 minutes he beamed the most beautiful smile any human being could smile and his wife, Gail, gracious as ever, joined him in his moment.

It was a beautiful thing to witness. It was a wonderful thing to be a part of, it was a moment dreamed by many, accomplished by few and enjoyed by everyone who believes in the mission and purpose of the college named for Christ the King.

Then as quickly as it began, the moment ended. People shook hands, hugged one another, posed for one last picture to memorialize a time that would never be again, and the room emptied.

As Kitch and I walked past the clock tower on our way to a very special place called Leo’s Den, the words of Helen Keller came to mind:

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

With every step, a thousand memories flashed through my mind of students past and present, of the wonderful students who helped us fashion the materials for the Capital Campaign in 2004. These were pleasant scenes of a life of learning, growth, employment, opportunity and accomplishment.

When we reached our destination, we stopped and looked at the symbol of the college where I graduated almost half a century before and another symbol that recorded a time and a place that we will remember forever.

We did not have to speak a word. We both felt a deep sense of gratitude to the doctors and nurses who worked so diligently to give us a second chance at life so we could experience this evening.

In that moment, I thought of a student named Michael Harostock who attended class in a science building less than 50 feet away from where we were standing. Little did he know in the turbulent 1970's when he dreamed of becoming a medical doctor that 25 years later he would save my life and make this evening possible for Kitch and me.

Tonight, because of the hard work and the generosity of so many, because of the dedication of the teachers who teach here and so many others who work here, we witnessed the launching of the John O'Briens, the Fr. Tom O'Haras and the Dr. Michael Harostocks of tomorrow. Their names are: Paul Bryant, Amanda Marchica, Ave Moran, Joseph Gaiteri and Joe Deegan, and every student who has a dream, disregards the discouraging, negative critics and works hard and smart to make that dream come true.

That thought gave us peace. We knew we were home again. We knew this small, liberal arts college was, is and always will be a part of our heart and soul.

As we left the campus in the pitch black of night, I turned to get one more glimpse of this place I love so much.

Then it happened. The words of a saint, Mother Theresa, framed the picture of our journey and this evening of golden moments:

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”

Thank you Fr. Tom O’Hara.

Thank you John O’Brien.

Thank you mom and dad.

Thank you Kitch.

Thank you King’s College for 49 years of dreams and opportunities.

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