Growing up, I lived in the south suburbs of Chicago. During my time in high school, I would often be required to look after myself while my parents worked late into the day. As any teenager might do in this circumstance, I skipped school to go and spend time with friends. Friends who mirrored my ability to avoid the classroom whenever possible. We would scrape together what meager funds we had and head downtown on the next available train. Although we were skipping the day’s formal education, our adventure would revolve around visiting historic places like the Willis Tower and any number of museums, monuments, and art exhibits. Oddly enough, even in the face of these stunning attractions the most interesting aspect of the city for me was the people. And while in this unique classroom of steel, glass, and concrete, I quickly learned one blunt fact. I had no idea of where, or how, I fit into this complex tapestry called society. This fact is reflected in my formal education, which can be seen as moving on anything resembling a straight, nor traditional, trajectory.
In 2006, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in graphic design. After graduating, I soon found my dream job as a graphic designer within the very town I attended university. So without much effort, my dream job was achieved, but I soon found that although I loved graphic design, I did not enjoy having a career in graphic design. After leaving that career path behind, I took various jobs to keep the rent paid and electricity turned on. That was until 2013, when a unique opportunity arose and allowed me to return to college once again. Sociology was of heavy interest to me since junior college and something I minored in while attaining my degree in graphic design. I reignited my passion for sociology and enrolled at Illinois State University, having no idea what to expect as I reentered the world of academia. My sociological imagination had laid dormant for many years, and although this mental machinery had begun to move once again, the components were rusted and dull. Although, with passionate professors like Dr. Mike Dougherty, Dr. Joan Brehm, and Dr. Susan Sprecher, within a semester’s time my mind was soon a well-oiled machine firing on all cylinders.
The rust in my mind fell away as Dr. Dougherty encouraged me to work hard, especially when writing. He was adamant that this skill be performed at the utmost highest level. And although this standard was difficult to maintain at first, it made me realize my true potential. Hard work only takes a little time until it becomes habitual after all. This effort did not go unnoticed, as I was chosen to be a teacher’s assistant my third semester by Dr. Dougherty in his Sociology 241 class. This boosted my confidence as a student immensely. Having a teacher see potential in a pupil that was far from the typical “straight-A student” was just what I needed to excel in the classroom. One could say, my sociological imagination was now running wild.
I worked hard to earn an internship within social psychology my fourth semester with Dr. Susan Sprecher. And after graduating in 2015, I was selected by Dr. Joan Brehm to be part of a team that conducted a survey on behalf of the State of Illinois. Dr. Brehm was another professor whose passion could not help but come through in their work. Dr. Brehm was devoted to the natural world, and to protecting and improving the environment. The survey I took part in reflected this passion, as it was of immense importance to local communities, dealing with water quality and watershed management in the Central Illinois area. I was, and still am, thankful for this valuable in-field experience.
Since that time, life has taken me on quite the journey. I now live in Seattle. I traded the Willis Tower and Lake Michigan for Mount Rainier and the forests of the Pacific Northwest. In the Fall of 2022, after having settled into my new life, I once again cleared the brush and debris that cluttered my academic path and decided to pursue my master’s degree in sociology. I enrolled at Morehead State University in Kentucky, choosing to take part in their general sociology program, a strictly online program. I have to admit, I was initially hesitant about enrolling in an online program of this type. As stated, I thrive upon the traditional hands-on classroom experience. But much like anything in life, what you get out of something is directly reflected upon what you put in. And thanks to the foundation that ISU provided me, and its many dedicated professors, I was able to put everything I had into earning my master’s this past July.
So now that we know where I have been, where am I heading? I have begun taking the steps to become an educator myself here in Seattle. I am not sure in what capacity just yet, but I am excited for what this future will bring. I have undoubtedly followed an unruly compass during my life, one that rarely points true north. Although, much like a car driving in the dark, all a good student needs is a few dedicated professors like those here at ISU illuminating those first few feet ahead of the pupil. Students like myself have destinations which lay well out there in the dark, but as long as you stay the path, your destination will slowly emerge into the light. Therefore, I believe it is my turn to find those students who have the potential to achieve greatness, but lack that little bit of confidence to get them there. It’s time to illuminate those few precious feet out in front of them on their journey.