I remember overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean and Redwood Forest on my first day at University of California, Santa Cruz, and thinking: ‘wow, I made it to college.’
Now I’ve made it to college again—this time teach-learning global history with you in these incredible Southern Appalachian mountains.
I grew up witness to the global imbalance of power and access. My personal and family experiences, too, have shaped my commitment to fighting for justice. Why, for example, are some people able to cross borders while others are not? Why are some parts of the world “poor” while others are “wealthy”? It is these types of questions that have led me to the humanities and social sciences.
It is impossible to learn everything under the sun. But, learning history (not dates and names) teaches us how to learn about other things. In order to do that I believe we should begin by asking (and trying to answer) the biggest questions about life.
I appreciate our student’s relationship to the land and self. Ultimately, I think wisdom comes from consistently critically reflecting on the relationship between self, others, and earth. My favorite parts about teaching have been developing meaningful relationships with my students and inspiring them to be awesome.