Brownies and Champagne: 12 Years After Graduating from UC Santa Barbara
March 20, 2008Time flies: twelve years ago today — March 20, 1996 — I completed my final course at UC Santa Barbara (a quarter early, no less — thanks in part to a handful of advanced placement courses in high school and some clever petitioning to have a few classes count for several requirements).
My last class was English 40, English Literature 1800 to 1900, with Eloise Knapp Hay. Sadly, this was her last class as well: she passed away a few weeks later on April 30, 1996 of inoperable brain cancer. We never knew she was sick and we would not have thought she was even if she had told us. (Incidentally, the author of Professor Hay’s obituary, Frank McConnell, was also a teacher I had at UCSB who died three years after her).
For the most part we studied the works of romantic poets such as William Wordsworth and William Blake — in whose honor I subsequently created “William Blake: Cybersongs of Innocence.”
By coincidence, this was also the last class for another student. We happened to complete our exams at roughly the same time and wound up in the hallway together. We got to talking about our undergraduate experience and what our post-graduation plans were.
We soon discovered that I had a brownie from an on-campus vendor and my classmate — suspiciously — had a small bottle of champagne (I don’t know why and didn’t ask). So, to celebrate our common achievement, we sat in the hallway and shared the brownie and champagne while reminiscing and wondering about what the world had in store for us. It seemed an appropriately bohemian way to finish our class on romantic poets as well as our undergraduate college experience.
Looking back, this day is bittersweet because, while it marks a major positive milestone, it also signifies my first step onto a long pathway towards self discovery that was often wrought with self doubt and uncertainty. Although I credit my professional experience with helping to shape who I am now and for giving me a foundation of practical knowledge, the journey itself was personally challenging.
Ironically, it took me more than a decade to admit that what I always wanted to do with my life was to teach and surround myself in an academic environment. I have always enjoyed being a student and, thankfully, as a result of introspection and helpful guidance from friends and colleagues I realized that being a teacher was the best way to continue learning.
While on some levels I feel I am “catching up” to where I should have been from the beginning, I finally feel that I am aligned with my purpose in life. I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me by my experiences at DeVry University, UC Santa Barbara Extension, Axia College of University of Phoenix, International American University and the other institutions at which I am currently teaching or have taught.
Each one has provided me with a unique perspective on teaching and allowed me the privilege of working with some great students with bright futures.
And so, despite my mixed feelings about the past 12 years, I am looking forward to the coming years with hope and optimism.
I’ve got a brownie — who has the champagne?
[...] This time around, I can leverage another solid year of teaching experience. On some levels it feels like a completely different course, but I’ve really just built up from the original foundation I constructed last year. I expect it will be a much stronger effort that is ultimately more enjoyable and educational for my students. Most notably, due to some budgetary issues, all Extension courses are now offered on the actual UCSB campus — so now I will be teaching on the very campus where I took classes more than a decade ago as an undergraduate! [...]
I hope I am one of your great students with a bright future.
I believe teaching is in your blood. You put up with a lot from us students. Although, I am grateful to have a professor who doesn’t give up on me. Thank you Mr. G.
Hi Brandi,
Thank you for your kind words about teaching being in my blood. I feel so fortunate to have an opportunity to learn with you and everyone else in our class. I really believe in the quote from Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard that “to be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner.”
I don’t know if I would say I put up with a lot (in the negative sense). Rather, having been through a lot, I understand the “real world” can present unexpected challenges. I admire what you and your classmates are trying to achieve. That you are fighting against the odds in many cases makes it that much more inspiring.
I want to inspire you and your classmates and help you overcome your obstacles, but I try to offer a hand up and not a hand out. You need to work for it! Admittedly, I am always learning to be a better teacher, but I treasure the opportunity to improve my abilities.
As for your question: yes, you are definitely one of my great students with a bright future. I don’t think any of us is perfect, but as long as we continue to strive towards improvement success is never that far away.