There is no better way for me to spend a day than working on student or faculty development. It’s my passion. It’s what I live to do.
And when someone tells me that the work has been helpful or impactful, then I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and awe for this journey that we’re on. I know that, perhaps from the student’s perspective, I’m there to help them. Indeed, I am. But to me, it’s so much more.
You see, what I’ve learned over the last four years since I started this work is that we’re all on this journey together. I’m significantly older than most of my students, so I have had more time to learn on this path that we share. But in so many ways, the students are the brave ones, the wise ones, the tenacious ones, the creative ones, the compassionate ones, the forgiving ones, and I learn from them.
In addition, you know the saying, “see one, do one, teach one”? Teaching is the highest form of learning. When I sit down to write a blog, I’m learning more than I teach. When I teach, I am often learning even more than the students. For that reason, combined with the potential to make an impact, teaching to me is an unbelievable privilege. You can serve while being served.
I still wonder at my path sometimes, starting in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences and ending up helping people on such a personal journey. The first day of our new class for young biomedical scientists, GRAD611 Professional and Personal Development, I talked about the journey and I can see faces trying to recall the last day to drop a class without penalty. Therefore, it was especially gratifying by the end of the semester when the students were fully engaged in the class and even willing to come to the optional activities without nagging. That feeling continues on now that we’ve finished the second course, GRAD615, Biomedical Science Career Seminars.
So students and readers in the blogosphere, thank you for giving me an amazing reason to jump out of bed each day. Every step on this journey together is sacred to me and it’s an honor to walk by your side.
See the VCU BEST website: rampages.us/vcubest/
Silver Lining 