Where Are You Now?

Devon L. Thomas

I remember meeting with an academic advisor at Monroe Community College (MCC) during the fall semester of my senior year of high school. I was graduating high school a semester early and wanted to take some classes at MCC before enrolling at SUNY Brockport the next fall. I was fortunate that my high school guidance counselor coached me on what to ask about as I made my spring schedule. She told me that I wanted to enroll in “Gen Eds,” and to ask questions about how these courses would transfer to Brockport. I signed up for classes in anthropology, U.S. history, Greek mythology, and psychology, and left the meeting feeling relieved that my plan was figured out. That spring, I worked part-time at the pizza shop near my high school, handing out slices to my senior class during their lunch breaks. On my days off, I drove to MCC with my high school boyfriend and ate coffee cake muffins at Dunkin’ Donuts between classes.

That spring semester at MCC felt like a quick stop on my way to college and lacked a sense of purpose to me (the boyfriend didn’t last much longer either, for that matter) beyond getting some classes out of the way. My semester at MCC wasn’t something that a lot of my college friends knew about either, as it was a part of my college experience that I often left out of the story. While I loved learning (I still do) and took my coursework seriously, I didn’t see the connections between what I was learning and what I wanted to do for a career, which at the time was to become a family therapist. As I sat in my U.S. history class I wondered: who cares about what some old white guys were up to in Virginia before 1865? I didn’t see what that had to do with me or my major. So I channeled my energy into what really mattered to me: spending time with my friends, making pizza money, and getting ready to “actually” start college that fall.

Looking back, those were some of the best college courses I ever took, and I wish I would have seen that sooner. I never encountered such enthusiasm for writing as I did from my U.S. history class professor at MCC. My Greek mythology professor allowed me to see patterns across the human experience that spanned time and continents. My anthropology professor with the wild beard got us to journal, an exercise that brought me to some important conclusions about my own well-being and learning. I don’t remember all the courses’ content, but I remember how they made me feel confident in my own writing style and that my creative interpretations of assignments were not only valued, but encouraged. While it was only one semester, it was my experience in general education that shaped who I have become as an educator, a person, and a member of the Wildcat community.

As you read Part 2, consider these questions:

• What excites you about being a member of the UA community? Which responsibilities are you nervous about that come with being a member of this community?
• What are some things that make you want to say, “I did that!” as you look back on your time at UA?
• What are some available resources (academic, emotional, financial, professional, and otherwise) for you to find support when you need it?
• What are some strategies you have for staying motivated in your coursework while you balance multiple and sometimes competing priorities?