Nurturing Potential
When I started in college I really
had no idea what I wanted to be. I
hadn’t ever really been overly passionate or good at anything (other than
school). I do like detail and organization,
and have always been interested in the sciences. I decided I might like something in
healthcare. I took basic core classes
the first year and then worked on pre-requisites for the radiologic sciences
program. I even set up a shadowing
experience right before the program application was due – and it saved me! I was uncomfortable, disappointed at the idea
that I might have to do the same thing all day (I remember the radiological
technologist saying that one day you might just do barium enemas all day long),
not fond of the potential hours, turned off by the idea that I might have to
deal with so many bodily fluids (really, I just wanted to do ultrasounds on
pregnant women – I hadn’t considered everything else I’d have to do to get
there), and had no clue what to do when the girl that was with me passed out (I
completely froze). I decided a clinical
profession might not be for me, but I was still interested in healthcare. I stumbled across the Health Information
Technology program in the BSU catalog (I seriously just went page after page
through the entire catalog), which led me to Dr. Patt Elison-Bowers. Knowing Patt as well as I do now, I can
reflect on how excited she was to see me.
As the only non-patient-care clinical program in the college, the
program doesn’t usually draw the top students – it tends to get the leftovers. Patt took one look at my straight-A
transcript and immediately saw my potential.
It’s not that I think every single straight-A student is destined for
greatness; nor do I think every non-straight-A student is not; but Patt is an
incredibly intuitive person who regularly takes on “projects” (as in
people). I hadn’t a clue at the time,
but she was already planning my future.
She mentored me through the program and insisted I teach the lab
component of a class for another faculty, Linda Osgood. I was terrified, but as I like to please, I
said sure. I was incredibly shy and
hated public speaking. The thought of
being in front of a class, being in charge, was mortifying. I think I did an ok job, but by no means
knocked it out of the park. But I had
apparently done a good enough job in the program that I was on Patt and Linda’s
radar. I obtained a coding job at a
local hospital while still completing my
bachelor’s and started full-time upon graduation. Graduate school was never a consideration. Nor was teaching. I had loved the coding job at a part-time
status while going to school, but it didn’t take long for me to become bored
with it on a full-time basis. I missed
school. I missed the school schedule. I felt unchallenged, found little to look
forward to, was frustrated by the low response to change (when I suggested more
efficient ways of doing things), and just felt like something was missing. I needed something with more meaning. I needed a job that meant something to me,
that made me feel like I was contributing to something bigger. The semester before I graduated one (of three)
of the health information faculty at BSU retired, the coding instructor. A friend of mine at the hospital, Carolyn (a
fellow coder), applied and got the position.
Upon starting she discovered she was pregnant and decided that she
wanted to be home with her baby. They
found a temporary teacher for the following semester, and the positioned opened
up again. Carolyn had encouraged me to
apply as soon as she knew she was leaving.
I thought she was nuts. Although
after doing repeated class presentations in my last year of college had eased
my public speaking fears slightly, the thought of being in charge of a class
was overwhelming. Then Patt called and
also encouraged me to apply. I wasn’t
overly happy where I was, I wanted something more, and apparently others
thought it was a good fit. I decided to
go for it. It is slightly evident to me
now that this is actually what Patt had planned all along. She pushed for me to get that job (pushed
both myself and her dean) and look where I am today. I accepted a half-time “teacher” position
(non-tenure track faculty position) and continued to work at the hospital. The following year I also took a half-time
professional staff position as a pre-professional studies advisor and worked on
a per diem basis at the hospital. With
the fee waiver benefit I couldn’t pass up going back to school, so I pursued my
Master’s in Education. Again, with no
intention of going beyond that. Patt
continued to mentor me and made sure I was offered her tenure-track position
when she left our college, again pushing me into new areas (like research) and
further pursuing higher education. After
having my daughter I enrolled in a PhD program in Adult Education. I have since switched degrees, but am still
pursuing my doctorate. Patt has mentored
me every step of the way, preparing me for my promotion and tenure application
submission this year (I’m only one step away!).
Knowing Patt so well now, I can see that she had big plans for me – far
beyond what I had ever dreamed for myself.
I would never be where I am today without her guidance and
expectations. She wouldn’t let me not
live up to my potential. Even today she
continues to push me. This was the
meaning I was missing. If I can
inspire/support just one student in doing something they thought they couldn’t,
my mission is accomplished. As I
continue to teach, each year I have new students with new problems. Students that never thought they’d get a
college degree. A student whose dad said
she wouldn’t ever amount to anything. A
student who was ostracized from her family and religion because college is not
the place for women, but pushed through it anyway. A single dad with a severely disabled
daughter that worked full-time and went to school full-time because he wanted
to set a good example and wanted to find that job with the meaning he was
looking for (just like me). A student
whose wife passed away suddenly and unexpectedly mid-semester, and he was still
able to successfully complete all of his courses. Several other students who suffered parental
and family deaths but endured on. All of
these students with so many odds stacked against them, that push through. I would never claim to take credit for that,
but to be a part of that student’s journey and to see them accomplish something
so great, to beat the odds, to finish in the face of doubt, illness, and grief
– the honor is beyond words. I can’t
imagine myself in another profession that would feel so rewarding. Every year I get to be a part of so many
journeys and it’s all because one person, a teacher, looked at me, saw my
potential, and guided me not only in the right direction, but along the
way. This is what teachers can do for
students – see them for far greater than they see themselves.
“Out there things can happen, and frequently
do,
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew.
Just go right along, you'll start happening too!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
To people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew.
Just go right along, you'll start happening too!”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
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