"Don't cry because it's ending, smile because it happened."  - anonymous

 

What does the infectious smile of Chuder Teny tell us about him as a person?

 

Does it tell us that the fifth-year Wilfrid Laurier sociology student is a naturally friendly person to whom relationships come easily?

 

Does it tell us that this Grand River Collegiate grad is the owner of an inner confidence so often associated with successful people both inside and outside the field of athletics?

 

Or does it tell us that the Kenyan-born, Kitchener-raised hoopster has such a positive disposition about life that the attainment of his goals both on and off the basketball court have become almost a certainty.

 

The answers to the last three questions are yes, yes and yes.

 

"Chuder can relate to anyone" says WLU's head basketball coach Justin Serresse. "As a leader on our team, he cared about everyone the same."

 

"To him, social background, ethnicity, personality or how much playing time a teammate got did not matter. He made connections with everyone. Chuder is all about building bridges."

 

Teny's basketball career at Laurier ended last month when the #7 nationally-ranked Golden Hawks battled hard but lost out to the #3 Ryerson Rams in the OUA West final. His academic career, however, won't be complete until the fall due to concussion issues that previously sidelined him for a semester.

 

"There's three qualities Chuder had that made him stand out as a player" explains Serresse. "He had the physical skills; he had a high basketball IQ; and he was a very unselfish player."

 

"He always, always put the team first. We're going to miss that kind of leadership next year. Somehow we have to find our next Chuder."

 

Even Serresse, who replaced now-retired Hawks bench boss Peter Campbell partway through Teny's time at WLU, can't help mentioning that signature smile.

 

"No matter what happened, Chuder could always bring light to the moment  - with his personality and with that smile."

 

Campbell, who coached Teny in his first two years at Laurier, echoes much of what Serresse has to say.

 

"Chuder really struggled that first semester, both academically and in his transition to university ball. It took some time but, man, was it ever exciting to watch him develop and succeed the way he did throughout his career. In the classroom and on the court."

 

"And as far as a person goes, he was a great kid from the get-go. Such a happy and positive person and his understanding of what was good for the team was always there."

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In Teny's native language of Nuer, his name means "don't worry."

 

"My mom likes to think that everything is in God's hands and not to worry because there are things that are meant to be" Teny explains. "Which is funny because that is how I am."

 

When I asked further about his mother, Teny left no doubt about the impact she has had in his life.

 

"I'm the person I am today because of her."

 

"She's the most supportive and loving person towards anyone she encounters, regardless of who they are. She loves to help people and I think that's also how I am."

 

"When I was young, I remember a homeless person approaching us and asking for money and I replied that we didn't have much - which was the truth because my mom wasn't working at the time. But she gave the man $30 anyway and she knew I wasn't pleased."

 

"I remember her telling me that if you ever have an opportunity to help someone, just do it and don't expect anything in return. So I've tried to carry that on ever since."

 

Teny adds that his mother also taught him a great deal about perseverance.

 

Among many other hardships, Sarah Molang, Teny's mother, lost two children to disease while living in the Sudan.

 

"My brother Simon passed away when I was 3 years old and my sister Nyatike passed before I was born."

 

Teny has two older brothers, Gondor (who steered him towards basketball) and Gony, and a younger sister Nyamuoch, who plays at Windsor. He was just five years old when his family came to Canada as refugees.

 

"My mother didn't have the chance to go to school as a kid and she's been through a lot. But she still manages to get everything done with the help of my siblings."

 

"Seeing her smile despite everything she's been through and provide for us the way she has is what motivates me to be a better person."

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Jamie Campbell, son of Peter, is currently an assistant coach with the national champion Carelton Ravens basketball team but coached Teny in rep ball and also recruited him for the Golden Hawks.

 

I asked him on the phone from Ottawa if he had a few minutes. "It's related to Chuder Teny", I said.

 

"Then I definitely have time" he replied. "I always have time if it's something to do with Chuder."

 

When asked to elaborate further, he did.

 

"Chuder is someone who changed my life" says Campbell.

 

"We spent a lot of time together. Recruiting time. Driving to games. All of it. And I've gotten to know him pretty well these last ten years. And I'm a better person because of it."

 

"Knowing what he's had to overcome - both he and his family. His attitude. His work ethic. His personality. All of those things."

 

"There's a ton of people who never thought he could do what's he's done. And soon he's going to be a university graduate. Amazing!"

 

"Put it this way - any day that I see Chuder is a good day. That's the kind of guy he is."

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None of what's been said so far comes as any surprise to Tolly Henderson, Teny's junior and senior basketball coach while at Grand River Collegiate (Henderson is now at Eastwood C.I.) or to Jodie Antonini who's the current head of special education at GRCI.

 

But in separate conversations, they both emphasized that behind that smile and sunny disposition was also a lot of hard work and determination.

 

Henderson and Teny twice came very close to a WCSSAA basketball championship. In junior, the Renegades lost out to Waterloo Collegiate in an overtime thriller and a few years later to Cameron Heights in senior.

 

"In the four years that I coached him, I don't recall him ever missing a single practice" says Henderson. "At times I think he actually over-trained and sometimes his body broke down."

 

"But he always brought lots of energy the gym. And that attitude and work ethic paid off not just for our team but also for him. He became the Mike Moser Award winner (MVP of WCSSAA boys basketball) in his final year."

 

Antonini is literally at a loss for words when trying to pinpoint what it is that makes Teny so special.

 

"I don't know what the right word or words are to describe him" says the former Student Activities director who convinced Teny, ever the connector, to be a part of Student Council for a couple of years starting in Grade 10.

 

"He was resilient in so many ways. No matter what the challenge was, he always found a way to power through it and make the best of it. But a lot of it was sheer hard work and discipline."

 

Teny started grade nine at GRCI in the Fast Forward program (designed to help students move into the work world, not post-secondary education) but with the help of Antonini and many other supportive staff members, he was able to move into college-level courses and eventually university-level ones.

 

And ultimately, acceptance into Wilfrid Laurier University from which he will graduate next year.

 

"That kind of transition doesn't happen very often" points out Henderson. "Almost never."

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The basketball career of Chuder Teny is littered with highlights.

 

Excelling at elementary, high school and rep basketball. Capturing the Moser Award. Hitting the winning shot this season to help the Hawks defeat Windsor. Acting as a captain for the Purple and Gold for three consecutive years.

 

But maybe the accolade that says the most about this remarkable young man is the one that is entirely unofficial: the "mayor of Wilfrid Laurier" is his nickname on campus.

 

In fact, around town, some people even joke that he's the unofficial mayor of Kitchener-Waterloo because he's so well-known, so well-loved and so highly regarded.

 

Which brings me back to my original question…

 

"What does the infectious smile of Chuder Teny tell us about him as a person?"

 

Well, if you're lucky, you'll get a chance to meet him in person someday and come up with an answer.

 

But one thing's for certain - afterwards, you'll walk away with a smile of your own.