Muhammad Ali at Franconia College in 1978.

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Growing up in Franconia, the chance of meeting a famous sports figure was pretty slim. However, I got the thrill of my young life when I met the most famous athlete of all time, Muhammad Ali, when I was 17 years old.

Franconia College was a small liberal arts college that existed in Franconia from 1963-1978. Somehow this college of 400 students managed to get Ali to be the guest speaker at the 1978 graduation ceremonies.

My high school friends and I, who were huge Ali fans, attended the graduation hoping to meet him. It was an incredibly laid-back atmosphere considering a celebrity of Ali's magnitude was there. We heard he was in the college president's residence, so we went and hung out by the entrance.

Sure enough, a few minutes later he came out of the house with his bodyguards to walk across the field to the outdoor graduation. He shook hands with all of us who were standing there and thanked us for coming to see him.

I was amazed at how humble and friendly he was. I don't remember his speech, but I will never forget shaking hands with "The Greatest."

Will Wessels, Epsom

If you've ever crossed paths with a movie star, celebrity or pro athlete, and you have a story to go with it, we'd like to hear about it. Send us a brief account, and email a photo if you have one. Send to news@cmonitor.com, with "celebrity" in the subject line.