I host a podcast at UACCB called Inside UACCB. I interview employees about what they do at the school. After about 40 episodes, my colleague Stephanie Minor flipped the script and interviewed me instead.
It was weird being on the other side of the mic.
We talked about what my job actually looks like day to day — which changes depending on the time of year, but mostly revolves around being available to faculty when they need something. One-on-one support instead of workshops and events. That's kind of the whole philosophy of the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence.
We also talked about why I ended up in education in the first place. I was a first-generation, low-income student. I didn't know how any of it was supposed to work when I started. I got through because of people who helped me figure it out. Now I'm in a position to do that for other people. That's the part that actually matters to me.
Stephanie asked about my proudest moment at UACCB. I talked about a nursing student who needed a computer science credit to graduate and had exhausted every other option. I taught a one-student independent study for him — no extra pay, just wasn't going to let him not graduate. He did great. Later, at commencement, he won the Nightingale Award and brought his family over to thank me. I held it together long enough to turn around and then completely did not hold it together.
Dr. Shonk once told me there'd be a moment that makes you understand why you do this. That was mine.
We also talked about the railroad conductor certificate and the shoes. Because of course we did.