By Sara Sanchez; The Whetstone

Q: How long have you been teaching here at Wesley college?

A: 14 years

Q: Where did you go to school? Was your major psychology?

A: Yes, I was a psychology major and I went to school at Ohio University

Q: Why did you choose your major?

A: At first it was because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I almost picked it at random. I had a couple classes. I felt like I needed to declare a major, so I just picked it and I ended up liking it and sticking to it.

Q: Did you go to graduate school? What was it like?

A: Yep! I went to graduate school at City University of New York in Queens for a neuroscience. It’s much different from undergraduate. You’re older, you already had the college experience. It is a lot more work the further you get into it. It takes longer. Nobody gets their Ph.D. in four years. On the plus side, it’s less expensive than undergraduate. Graduate school gives you more work and opportunities with pay.

Q: Who inspired or influenced you to be a professor?

A: I don’t know (who inspired me) to specifically to be a professor, but I have a very good story of what inspired me to go to graduate school. I was putting it off, taking a break to go across the country, which I did. I was working during the day, cleaning carpets, and during the night I delivered pizzas. It was fun, and it was good money, I didn’t have the motivation to go back (to school). I was cleaning this lady’s carpet and she was talking to me and said, “What are you doing? What are your plans?” And I said, “Well, I’m going to go to graduate school,” and she goes, “That’s what you told me last year,” and that hit me, and I was like, “Wow!” That gave me the motivation to go.

Q: What courses do you teach?

A: I teach Neuroscience, Statistics, Cognitive Psychology, Experimental Psychology, and Senior Seminar and, very once in a while, Introduction to Psychology.

Q: How has your style of teaching changed since you started?

A: I have gotten less reliant on technology. When I first started teaching in New York, I put up a web page for the class with all the course information, and at the time people (teachers) did not do that. I used to use Power Points, and I had these clickers for class. I thought that was the way to go since the students were younger than me. It felt less interactive. So, I asked the students which one they liked more and, come to find out, they like the whiteboards, so I switched over to just whiteboard.

Q: What ways has the pandemic affected you in a positive way?

A: Probably what a lot of people are saying, saving money. I spend less money going out to eat. I cook for myself. I’ve gotten things done around the house that I otherwise wouldn’t have. And maybe being forced to use Zoom and Microsoft Teams, some good skills to learn.

Q: Overall with our situation, what is your favorite thing about being a professor at Wesley College?

A: Definitely the growth that you see in the students. When they first come, you see the lack of confidence the lack of maturity. Then you start to see the confidence. They seem to understand the world better. Then, of course, hearing from the students that graduate.