Readers’ stories of the ah-ha moment

I asked readers on Thanksgiving to describe their “ah-ha” moment — the instant that set the direction of their career. Here are the best entries I chose.

An encounter with the mayor

My epiphany came as a result of (believe it or not) San Jose Mayor Norm Mineta. As a sophomore at San Jose State University, my political science class was given an assignment to attend a city council meeting. In addition, to prove that we actually went to the meeting (savvy professors), we had to bring back the agenda signed by a member of the Council. The meetings were held in the second floor council chambers at old City Hall off First Street. Read more at www.mercurynews.com