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“Can this day get any longer!”, a classmate of mine said to me as we walked into our Thursday morning lecture. I turned and gave him a look of exhaustion written all across my face as I only received 5 hours of sleep the night before and I had a lab report due just an hour after the lecture that I still had not finished. I was ready for the week to end.
As I heard the unmistakable open and shut of the lecture hall doors behind me, I knew our professor had arrived to deliver another one of her lectures crucial to next week’s exam. As I turned to pull my notebook out of my backpack, I heard snickers and polite enjoyment from my classmates around me. As I looked up, I noticed our professor was dressed head to toe in the most elaborate witch costume imaginable.
She was wearing a jet black wig with a tiny witches hat attached to the top, pinned down with an intricate spider web-themed hairpin. She wore an oversized black spider web cloak, sheer gloves, and nails painted in typical Halloween creatures and goblins. Alongside her costume, she carried an oversized bucket of candy she shared with the class. It was quite an impressive sight that caught me off guard, but couldn’t help but put a smile on my face.
She then grabs our attention and announces, “Today’s class, I wish to provide you guys with a bit of motivation!” As she begins her lecture she tells us all about the incredible life that she has lived. Born in Turkey and graduated, she eventually found a post-doctorate role at Stanford University. She talked all about her struggles financially and how she overcame her struggles and found Texas A&M to be her home. It was an entertaining class full of laughter, questions, and kind words to ponder upon.
After her class, I began to think about how her little act of kindness to uplift our spirits meant a lot to me and how it really showed who she was beyond the material she taught. My long day and dreadful lab report did not seem so tiresome, and I felt as if the day moved along much quicker after her class.
I also began to wonder if any other professors in my academic career provided me with a similar feeling of happiness during a long day. I thought of one professor who used to outline his days on drilling rigs, imitating all sorts of sounds and sayings he picked up throughout his impressive career. I thought of another professor who shared his love of Pink Floyd and other rock groups and how he wished to go to a concert during that semester.
What I have learned from each of these professors is how much it means to love your students enough to let them know that they are human. They have hobbies, interests, failures, triumphs, and wacky stories that can only guarantee a smile on our faces. These professors, to me, are what makes being an engineer so great and why I can’t wait to gather my own unique story to share with others.
Petroleum Engineering, Class of 2026
If you found this blog post interesting, you may consider reading “What Does It Mean to be the Best?” and “Defining Success Your Way“