Sound Off!

I am sure we can all easily remember professors we have had at Fresno State who did not remember our name, or never seemed to invest any energy while lecturing. It would be easy to conclude that our teaching staff does not care about the students. But in the end, it is really not that simple.

After budget cuts last year, a professor of mine was informed that he was basically being downsized.

On his last day of teaching, he was brought to tears. He offered the entire class his home phone number in case we ever had any questions or needed a reference. And then there are those who run companies or do consulting work, and they teach in their spare time because that is where their heart lies.

Teaching is not about the accolades — it generally an underappreciated profession — and it is not about the money — as many of the professors would make a lot more working elsewhere. Being a teacher is about a love of learning, both personally and also the idea of instilling it in others.

One of my greatest professors here at Fresno State tells all of his students that college is about getting an education, not just a degree. I think we all need to truly acknowledge the people who have given us our education and prepared us for what’s to come. We never know where life may lead, any one of us may be standing in front of a class in 10 years, passing our education onto future generations.

—Holly Jones
Senior, business