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Your favorite moment from teaching in the OCL Program?
I don’t think I have a favorite moment, but the students who struggle to finish because they are facing personal and professional challenges that they were not expecting at the start of our journey together are often the most meaningful when they are able to finish. The sense of accomplishment in the face of great, unanticipated adversity at their final defense is powerful.
Your favorite recipe or place to eat?
We lived in South Korea for almost 3 years, so I love kimchi, daikon radishes, oi muchim, and all the other banchan served in Korean restaurants and at gatherings. Frankly, I appreciate and enjoy any cuisine that is shared “family style” and is meant to be shared with others. I was raised in a family that frequently gathered friends and family for dinner, so spending time with someone over a meal is special to me. My husband makes fun of me because he says agreeing to go to dinner with me is usually a guaranteed three hour commitment.
Any advice for our current OCL students?
Take time. Slow down. The goal of the doctoral degree is not to simply obtain an honorific. It is a journey that will expand your intellectual and creative horizons. If you are spending most of your time concerned with how a class will or will not help you work on some little piece of your dissertation in practice, you are missing the bigger picture in the doctoral journey.
One piece of writing (article, book etc.) that every OCL student should read?
Something completely unrelated to the program/their dissertation--anything at all! I think it’s important to continue to foster a love of reading for pleasure throughout your journey. Don’t be the person who can only ever talk about work or what you’re reading in school. You’ve got to have and keep your hobbies. If it’s not reading, get out and swim, travel, knit, or do whatever you find enjoyable for pleasure.
If you were not in academia, what would you be doing?
This is a trick question. I just completed my 21st year of military service. I’m fortunate that I’ve had the support of my civilian employers since I transitioned from the Regular Air Force in 2011, including overwhelming support from USC and Rossier, to be able to continue to serve my country as a citizen Airman for well over a decade now. However, I have been thinking lately that I would like to do something that is more grounded in my community when I retire. Though I do not come from a K-12 education background, working at Rossier and seeing the amazing work and research my colleagues produce has inspired me to seriously consider teaching in K-12 in my next (third?) career.
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