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Formerly focusing primarily on students’ experience, in our attempt to extend our scope, Breakout has decided that it would be interesting to have the professors shared their significant experience, especially when they were once students (since most people often forgot that!) Our first interview is with Professor Amy Carter, a brand new political science professor, who is currently enjoying her second semester at Westminster.A native of Arizona, Professor Amy Carter attended Colorado College, where she gained valuable college experience and found the inspiration to become a college professor. Like Westminster, Colorado College is a small liberal arts institution that allows close interaction between students and professors. After graduation, she worked in Washington D.C for a while before attending Vanderbilt University, where she earned her M.A. She continues to work toward her PhD from Vanderbilt. However, it was the college life that has transformed her to be the person she is today.
From a relatively shy person during high school years, Professor Carter came to appreciate and learn about herself in college. “I learned that it is ok to be smart. It is important that students come into their own and celebrate the gifts that they have. At college, I also discovered things about my own personality, when I was not trying to live up to someone else’s expectation or be like the other people who were “cool””, says Professor Carter. Despite the difficult transition from being a high school to a college student, she really enjoyed and made the most out of her college life. “I liked college because I felt that I could combine academics with extra curricular stuff----it wasn’t all one thing or another. I also felt that I was really thriving there. I really came into my own”, says Professor Carter, who was the president of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and was on the college’s volleyball team, which she considered to be one of her major accomplishments, along with the completion of her senior thesis. “I never thought that I would play volleyball in college. Playing sports was a real honor for me. I worked so hard for it and when I look back, I feel proud of myself”, recalls Professor Carter.
In addition to her college experience, her 6 months in Argentina as an exchange student during high school was another important time in her life. Not only did the Argentina experience open her eyes to see different ways of living, it planted the seed of interest in politics for her. “I was shocked by the animosity toward Americans”, adds Professor Carter. “And I guess that is why I became interested in politics and saw things in a different way. Everyone should go abroad, and see what it’s like in other countries, to understand other cultures, to discover what you value about your own culture. It is courageous to go abroad. That’s also why I love having the international students in my classes because they add so much more to the discussions of what it means to be American and what it means to be involved in American political life. They have learned about American politics in a different way than the Americans. I think they have a lot of insight in talking about the American political system”, concluded Professor Carter.
On the last note, Professor Carter wants to pass the message to the students that, “Work hard and play hard but don’t take everything so seriously. Watch silly movies, laugh with friends, and enjoy people around you because when you look back in life, those are the times that you appreciate the most. I believe that people should be involved and cherish the human connections that they make in college. They should take this as a time to try all of the things they think they might be interested in because the risks are low and the pay offs are high. Enjoy this freedom to enjoy yourself, explore your talents and help others.”
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