"You Are All Heroes to Me"

Following are remarks by Jonathan Carey, Texas Regional President of Phi Theta Kappa, at the 61st Annual Convention of the Texas Community College Teachers Association.

Mr. Carey's Chapter Advisor at Collin County Community College is Angela Putman, professor of communication studies.

I am truly honored to have a chance to speak with you all today. It was funny because, once I was told that I’d be speaking to a group of community college teachers, I thought to myself, “Here I am speaking to a room full of experts and I don’t even have an associate’s degree yet!”

How can I possibly connect with you all?

Then, when I finally sat down and began to brainstorm about what I should say, I was surprised to find out how easy it was. I think the reason for this is because I have so much to thank you for.

You see, mine is a story of success, and at the base of my success are two groups of people. The more obvious is my family, especially my father who has been a mentor and helping hand throughout my entire life.

Second, of course, is you, my community college professors. You all continue to impress me with every class I take, and you have always stood out beyond any other type of teachers that I have ever had.

My first semester in college was actually at a four-year university, and my short time there could be described as less than extraordinary. I found myself surrounded by degree-bearing graduate students, intimidating professors, and a slew of fellow students who seemed far better prepared to take on the challenge of college life.

On top of all this, my confidence was shot by the fact that I was enrolled at my second-choice college since I had not been accepted to my school of choice. You can imagine how I was suffering mentally. The impersonal environment of that university mixed with my emotions, so my grades, my spirits, and my sunny disposition fell by the wayside.

I knew I wasn’t happy there and I wanted to get away, so I dropped out after my first semester. The next semester I worked as a waiter in the grueling time of my life that my dad would call “Learning the Value of a Dollar.”

The worst part of this period was that the entire time I knew I was smart enough to get a college education. I only needed a simple place where I could do my studies, make my grades, and move on.

I received far more than that.

In the summer of 2006 I swallowed by pride and enrolled at Collin County Community College. In retrospect that was the best decision that I made in my life. If it weren’t for my enrolling there, I would never have been exposed to the honor society Phi Theta Kappa and I would never have had the chance to hold the important leadership position I do now.

Thanks to my professors at Collin County Community College I felt much more capable of learning. My math professor, Mr. Ardis, inspired me to enjoy mathematics. During every class I would see him go out of his way to ensure that everyone in the class understood the material that he was teaching. This kind of teaching empowered my classmates and me, and I believe that my success in professor Ardis’s class inspired me to do well in my other classes.

I also came to realize that my community college professors were interested in teaching the class how to better our lives, by learning about aspects of life outside the textbook.

For instance, my government professor, Dr. Wendel, required everyone in her class to perform 40 hours of community service. I spent my time at a homeless shelter downtown where I had the chance to help those in need and to really make a difference in their lives. The sense of responsibility and caring for our fellow humans is a feature that Dr. Wendel instilled in me for perhaps the rest of my life.

The thing that I enjoyed most about community college professors was that they were not afraid to engage in fellowship with their students. No longer will I ever be intimidated by a professor, because I know that they are people just like me and, most of the time, they are very friendly. I sometimes find myself sharing a meal with an old professor, or in some cases playing basketball in the gym between classes.

All the while I am very aware of the fact that community college teachers just like you are the reason for the positive changes in my life over the past two years. Thank you all very much for being an inspiration, for expanding my scope of knowledge, and for being friendly to your students.

You are all heroes to me.

I encourage everyone to continue to change lives like mine. Rest assured, all of your students, myself included, will be ever grateful.

Thank you all once again, and God bless you, too.

Comments

[Dr. Sanford Aranoff]

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