By Valeriya Bondarenko
Spring term comes to a close soon at College of Southern Nevada and students reflect on their appreciation for professors. Showing gratitude comes naturally for these students who made deep connections with their mentors.
“The professor that I appreciate the most this semester is Professor Eileen Metcalfe and she teaches Fundamentals of Food and Beverage Control,” said Tatiana Rio, a culinary major. “[She] inspires me to become better by providing me with a lot of important material on handling food and beverages in the culinary industry. Metcalfe is proud of her students’ victories whether it is homework or a test and she will always find extra time to help her students. I enjoyed having her teach the class and I think Metcalfe is a very bright and knowledgeable person.”
“Tatiana approaches class with interest, commitment and a smile,” Metcalfe said. “I see that she is focused on both succeeding and learning. I can tell completing her degree is extremely important to her and I know she will be an asset to the hospitality industry. It is wonderful to know that a student can perceive that I care about the learners in my classroom. Helping students achieve gives my job a purpose.”
According to a 2016 study in the “Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” titled “Brightening the Mind: The Impact of Practicing Gratitude on Focus and Resilience in Learning” research shows that gratitude has the power to heal, energize and transform lives by enhancing people’s mental, physical and spiritual states. It impacts learning and fortunately some CSN students are reflecting on how their professors impacted them in positive ways.
“Instructor Tiffany Paquet, who teaches Emergency Medical Technician Training, inspires me to be better,” said Jordan Peck, an EMT student. “In [her] class we are taught the correct process to help in an emergency situation and the instructor always provides us time and resources to succeed in class. She is a great instructor who provides great personal experiences and it helps me stay motivated to continue getting good grades.”
“Jennifer Mitchell is the professor who inspires me,” said Douglas Haines, who took her JOUR 101 Critical Analysis of Mass Media course. “Her passion and excitement about such a niche topic of media psychology is inspiring. Mrs. Mitchell provided me with a lot of knowledge and I started reading extra articles and books and ran across concepts and people and ideas we’ve gone over in class, so I was able to connect the dots between what I learned in classroom and how it applies in the real world.”
“Douglas was an incredibly bright and talented student,” said Mitchell, reflecting on her student’s brilliance. “In all the years I have been teaching, Douglas stands out as a true intellectual. He is one of the most gifted and driven students who I know will be a huge success. I am grateful for his appreciation for the process of education and it warms my heart to hear his gratitude for my teaching.”
Coyote Student News at the College of Southern Nevada 